( CNN ) Hawaii is poised to become the first state in the nation to prohibit the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to anybody under age 21 . The state 's legislature on Friday passed a bill raising the minimum legal age -- currently 18 -- to buy tobacco or e-cigarettes . The bill will now go before Gov . David Ige , whose signature would make it law in Hawaii as of January 1 , 2016 . Forty-six U.S. states permit the sale of tobacco to anyone 18 or older , while Alabama , Alaska , New Jersey and Utah require customers to be at least 19 . Dozens of cities and towns , including New York , have already raised the minimum legal age for tobacco purchases to 21 . `` This bold step will reduce smoking among young people , save lives and help make the next generation tobacco-free , '' said Matthew L. Myers , president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids , in a prepared statement . `` Increasing the sale age to 21 will reduce tobacco use among youth and young adults , age groups when nearly all smoking begins and that are heavily targeted by the tobacco industry , '' he said . It was not clear Monday whether Ige would sign the bill , although on Friday he approved legislation banning the the use of e-cigarettes in all locations where smoking is illegal . A spokeswoman for the governor told CNN in an email that he would need some time to review the bill . The legislation comes after a report last month from the Institute of Medicine that said barring people under age 21 from buying cigarettes would have significant public health benefits . Setting the minimum age at 21 nationwide would result in nearly a quarter-million fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer among people born between 2000 and 2019 , the report estimated . Raise the smoking age ? Report predicts big health benefits if we do . Teenagers , especially those between 15 and 17 , are most vulnerable to addiction at a time when their brains are still developing , said the study , which was conducted at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . If the minimum legal age for tobacco use was raised to 21 , the prevalence of smokers among today 's teens would decline by 12 % when they become adults , the report said . Under the Hawaii bill , anyone caught breaking the law would face a $ 10 fine for the first offense and a $ 50 fine or community service for a second offense . A 2014 survey of Hawaii voters found that 71 % favored raising the legal age to 21 .
Hawaii 's legislature passes a bill raising the legal age for buying tobacco to 18 . The bill is now before Gov . David Ige , whose signature would make it law . Most states allow tobacco sales to anyone 21 and older .