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New Maryland Laws: Tobacco & Cyberbulling

Capitol in Annapolis
creative commons
Capitol in Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - New laws to protect health and strengthen criminal justice are taking effect in Maryland.

The state is raising the age to buy tobacco products, including electronic smoking devices, from 18 to 21 on Tuesday.

Maryland is changing the definition of a tobacco product to include electronic smoking, known as vaping.

People under the age of 18 will not be able to use any tanning devices in the state, including sunlamps, tanning booths or tanning beds.

Lawmakers updated Maryland's 2013 law against cyberbullying minors. The new law makes it an offense to send out messages online to a broad audience, instead of only directly against the minor.

Maryland also is criminalizing the display of sexually-exploited children and digitally-generated images that are indistinguishable from real photos.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.