A National Legal-Action Antismoking Organization
Entirely Supported by Tax-Deductible Contributions
| Home | Search | About ASH | Why Join | Comment | Email page |
|
Action on Smoking and Health
A National Legal-Action Antismoking Organization Entirely Supported by Tax-Deductible Contributions
|
Proposed CA Bill Would Raise Legal Age to Purchase Tobacco to 21 [03/25-1]
Excerpts from: California bill would raise age for tobacco buyers to 21
By ED FLETCHER Scripps Howard News Service [03/24/2004]
California would be the first state in the nation to require tobacco buyers to be at least 21 under legislation that cleared its first hurdle Wednesday.
Backers of the bill contend that the number of adult smokers could be dramatically reduced by preventing impressionable teens from smoking or chewing tobacco. But opponents say that unlike teen alcohol consumption _ which can lead to drunk driving and put others in jeopardy _ smoking doesn't present a direct, immediate public health risk. Current law prohibits the sale of tobacco to those younger than 18 years old.
Recruiting new teen smokers is key to the tobacco industry's survival, said state Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana, who cited internal industry documents that were obtained as a result of tobacco litigation in the 1990s.
"If you're not smoking by the age of 18 the likelihood of you being a lifelong customer of that industry is small," Dunn told the Senate committee.
"This bill is not about health, it is not about the 18, 19, and 20-year-olds," Dunn said. "It is about shutting off the primary access that industry has to the lifeblood of the under 18-year-old smoker."
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in California, responsible for the death of more than 40,000 Californians each year, according to the state Department of Health Services. While California boasts one of the lowest smoking rates in the nation, the rate of smoking among youth has bounced around 15 percent in recent years.
Only Alaska, Alabama and Utah have legal smoking ages greater than 18, each permitting smoking at age 19.
| Home Web Page | Search This Site | Learn About ASH | Why Join ASH | Comment on This | Email This Page |