Rachel McClurg
Editor-in-Chief
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently expressed concern with the current tobacco age. The current legal age to purchase tobacco is 18, but McConnell would like to see that age go up to 21.
With the rising popularity of vape products among teens, many lawmakers think this could be a step to prevent teens from ever starting on tobacco products. Even before this new idea was proposed, JUUL, a popular vaping company, stopped selling popular flavors in stores in an attempt to make it less appealing for teens to JUUL, according to CNBC.
“Statistics show that most smokers start as teenagers, and the younger they are when they start, the more likely they’ll become addicted,” CNN reporter Emanuella Grinberg writes in a news piece on Illinois raising the tobacco age to 21.
Some students express their approval for the age change as well.
“I am honestly for the government changing the tobacco age to 21,” Sophomore Trey McNemee said. “If the age is 21 to buy these products, it will be much harder to buy tobacco products and when you are in college if you have not already started, you are more likely to not start because it won’t be as cool to be smoking anymore.”
Though some of the students are for the age being raised, they are not convinced much will change.
“If they pass this bill, I really don’t think it will do or change much,” Freshman James Morrow said. “If someone wants something, they will get it. I think they should look at the draft age and change that because if we can die at 18 for our country, we should be able to drink and smoke as we please.”
Though the age has not been raised to 21 yet for many states, according to KWCH, Walgreens has already made the call to refuse sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21 starting Sunday, Sept. 1.
Also according to KWCH, Walgreens chose to make this call after being called out for violating tobacco sales laws.
