A new law raises the legal smoking age nationally from 18 to 21.

The proviso was added to the $738 billion Defense Spending Bill signed into law by President Donald Trump last Friday.

It had bipartisan support in Congress.

While the Federal Food and Drug Administration has 180 days to update regulations and 90 days after to implement the law, the FDA tweeted the law is effective immediately.

“It is now illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product — including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes — to anyone under 21,” the FDA said.

The agency said it will provide additional details as they become available.

South Carolina tobacco use among high school students dropped from 39.2% in 2011 to 32.2% in 2017, the latest figures from the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control.

In the same time, conventional cigarette use among students dropped from 23.7% to 12%. E-cigarette use increased from 2.5% to 13.1%.

Nationwide e-cigarette use by high schoolers increased 78% from 2017-18, according to US Surgeon General Jerome Adams.

19 states and Washington, DC, had already passed laws increasing the minimum legal age to 21. SC was not 1 of them.

More than 530 municipalities and counties in 31 states had approved similar laws.