Posted on 04/19/2019 4:58:45 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to introduce legislation raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21 from 18, a move that public-health advocates and tobacco companies hope would curb the use of e-cigarettes among youths.
More than a dozen states have passed or enacted laws raising the minimum age to 21 and others are considering doing so. Sen. McConnell’s announcement Thursday follows the introduction earlier this month of similar bills in the House.
Altria Group Inc. and British American Tobacco PLC, the two biggest U.S. cigarette manufacturers, both support an increase of the minimum age to 21, as does Juul Labs Inc., a startup whose e-cigarettes are blamed by health officials for a surge in underage smoking.
Laws raising the age to 21 “fight one of the largest contributors to this problem: sharing by legal-age peers,” Juul Chief Executive Kevin Burns said.
Youth use of e-cigarettes jumped 78% from 2017 to 2018—to one out of every five high-school students—thanks largely to the popularity of USB-shaped vaporizers made by Juul.
The increase has prompted a regulatory crackdown on the e-cigarette industry. The Food and Drug Administration in March issued new sales restrictions that will effectively ban convenience stores and gasoline stations from selling most flavored e-cigarettes. The passage of a bill raising the legal age nationwide to 21 could alleviate that regulatory pressure, analysts say.
“For some time, I’ve been hearing from the parents who are seeing an unprecedented spike in vaping among their teenage children,” Sen. McConnell said, adding that his bill would exempt military-service members. The Kentucky Republican said he would introduce his bill in May.
Altria, which makes Marlboro, has been lobbying for the move at the state and federal levels
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
This has nothing to do with health and everything to do with the time honored needs for money and control.
CS Lewis had it right about dogooders. They will torment us ceaselessly.
Well, they've got that whole weed thing going on now so...
“More than a dozen states have passed or enacted laws raising the minimum age to 21 and others are considering doing so. Sen. McConnell’s announcement Thursday follows the introduction earlier this month of similar bills in the House.“
If states are already doing it, then that is even less reason for the federal government to get involved.
Do any of these bozos really think this is what the Founders had in mind when they granted Congress the power to “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes?”
Seeing crap like this come from Republicans makes me sick.
Why is big government so incredibly concerned about tobacco use on one hand, and turning such a massive blind eye to the national epidemic of opiods and illegal drugs flowing across the southern border? Gee, what could it be?
No wonder young people have no respect for and despise “authority”. I do too and I ain’t young.
It's not just the Dems ... the REPUBLICANS seem to be pushing this one ... it is STUPID GOVERNMENT (all of 'em). I agree with "up the thread" ... this is an attack on FREEDOM ... even if it is supposed to be "good for us". This is where lines should be drawn and MAINTAINED.
Can’t buy cigs until 21
but can join army, shoot and blow up stuff,
makes a lot of sense....
They’ll get the cigs just as they do the booze and weed.
Did politicians forget when they were teenagers?
Show vote.
It is something that our congressional scumbags can all agree on.
So now 18 year olds can have sex in porn, fight our wars, enter in staggering student loan debt but they can’t smoke while doing. Boy that air in DC is really rarefied.
And yet the border is porous...the sense of awareness on what the American people (Congress’ boss - you know, the voters) think is important really stinks.
And they want to reduce the voting age to sixteen.
Is this a federal issue or a states rights issue?
Personally, I think smoking anything, including tobacco should be outlawed. But politically it’s a freedom of choice thing. The feds should stay away from it.
But they want to lower the voting age to sixteen.
The federal government has no business wasting any of their time on this.
States wanna do this? Fine. Otherwise, forget it.
Shows what McConnell really is: a guy from the other side.
“Legalize pot, illegalize cigarettes, Dems are insane”
Worse than insane, they want to raise the age to buy cigarettes and LOWER the voting age to sixteen! Soon we will have five year olds voting while tobacco will be illegal.
My interpretation of your post is making the minimum age for military service at 21. If so, I agree.
My understanding of the human brain is that it is not completely wired at age 18. My point has to due with combat stress and the likelihood of PTSD developing in a less mature person. IMO a more mature person could likely handle the effects of being in mortal danger over long periods of time as well as watching people get blown to hell.
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