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U.S. Navy to comply with Hawaii’s new tobacco 21 law 

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Effective January 1, 2016, the Department of the Navy will enact a policy that complies with the new Hawaii state law that raises the minimum age to sell or give tobacco products to anyone under age 21, according to a December 28, 2015 U.S. Navy press release 

Navy-owned or controlled property located in the State of Hawaii is subject to concurrent jurisdiction. Hawaii State laws, civil and criminal, apply on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH), Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), and other Navy-owned or controlled property in Hawaii. Hawaii state and local police have the authority to enforce state law in areas of concurrent jurisdiction.  Navy military personnel, family members, residents, and guests on Navy installations and facilities are already expected to comply with applicable law. Those who may be cited by state and local police for violations of Hawaii’s new tobacco laws are subject to fines and community service.

Additionally, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Headquarters Marine Corps, as a matter of policy to comply with the new Hawaii state law, have directed all shore-based Navy and Marine Corps Exchange sales activities in Hawaii to cease the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21, effective 1 January 2016.  The Hawaii state law does not apply to personnel or transactions while aboard U.S. naval vessels due to federal jurisdiction laws.

Tobacco cessation is a priority of the Department of the Navy, critical to the health, fitness, wellbeing, and readiness of Navy-Marine Corps personnel. Learn more on the Navy’s tobacco cessation resources here.