Also worth noting that, as with alcohol, the main advantage of raising the age is that it keeps the substance out of high schools. The 19-20 year olds aren't really the direct targets, not that it's any consolation to someone facing charges.
It's worth noting it appears the penalties apply to vendors and adults who give tobacco to minors, but penalties for users were removed from the final bill, which seems reasonable to me. Vendors should be the primary target, not users. The key is to make it require more hoops for someone to purchase tobacco, so it is discouraged before people get addicted. Prohibition of sales to minors is not a total panacea, but I think it helps.
http://www.530attorneys.com/new-california-tobacco-law/
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