Overwhelming Support for Raising Tobacco Sale Age to 21
Three out of 4 American adults, including 7 in 10 cigarette smokers, favor raising the minimum age of sale for all tobacco products to 21, according to an article by CDC published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Age-of-sale restrictions have been shown to contribute to reductions in tobacco use and dependency among youth.
"Raising the minimum age of sale to 21 could benefit the health of Americans in several ways," said Brian King, Ph.D., acting Deputy Director for Research Translation in CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. "It could delay the age of first experimenting with tobacco, reducing the likelihood of transitioning to regular use and increasing the likelihood that those who do become regular users can quit."
Three out of 4 American adults favor making 21 the minimum age of sale for tobacco products.
Hawaii, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Virginia, Utah, Washington and Illinois currently prohibits sales of tobacco products to youth under the age of 21. Additionally, several cities and counties across the U.S. have adopted laws raising the minimum age to 21.
Resources
Tobacco 21
Case Study - Teen smoking rate cut in half