Well, I know for a fact here in SC that you can legally possess cigarettes underage, you just can't sell to a minor or buy them for a minor. I used to volunteer for a company around here whose job was to go to convenience stores to see if they would sell you cigarettes underage. The woman I volunteered for once mentioned that she wanted to do the same thing with alcohol, and when I asked her why they couldn't she said it was because the law is written so that minors can still possess cigarettes, meaning she wouldn't get in trouble for it. However, if a minor were to possess alcohol here, she could be fined along with the minor for underage possession. Just my two cents.