HONOLULU – Hawaii is on its way to becoming the first state to prohibit those under 21 from buying tobacco products or smoking them in public.

Last week the state legislature sent a bill to Gov. David Ige’s desk for his signature that would raise the purchasing age of tobacco products from 18 to 21, and prohibit anyone under 21 from consuming tobacco products in a public place, including electronic cigarettes. The Associated Press reports that the governor has not decided whether to sign the bill into law, which would take effect January 1, 2016.

If enacted, those caught breaking the new law would be fined $10 for the first offense, and subsequent violations would lead to a $50 fine or mandatory community service.

Opponents of the measure say it's not fair that military veterans returning from service could be prevented from smoking. "You can sign up and be in the military and basically give your life for your country. You can vote," Michelle Johnston, owner of Sub Ohm Vapes in Kailua-Kona, on Hawaii's Big Island, told the news source. "Why shouldn't you be able to choose if you want to buy tobacco products or vaping products, when you're considered a legal adult?"

State Sen. Gil Riviere (D), who voted against the bill, commented that if the state wants to eliminate smoking, it should ban it for everyone. "You can sign contracts, you can get married, you can go to war and lose an arm or lose an eye ... you come back and you're 20 years old and you can't have a cigarette.”