Should you have to be 21 to buy cigarettes?
Three out of every four U.S. adults — including nearly 7 of 10 smokers — favor raising the minimum legal age to buy tobacco products to 21, according to findings released Tuesday by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Currently, the minimum legal age for tobacco use is 18 in most states, 19 in four states — Alaska, Alabama, New Jersey and Utah — and 21 in various municipalities across the country, from Needham, Mass., to New York City. Hawaii is the only state that prohibits the purchase of tobacco products to anyone under 21.
But according to a survey of more than 4,000 U.S. adults, the results of which were published Tuesday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, most Americans favor putting the age limit for tobacco sales on par with those of alcohol. Only a quarter of those surveyed said they somewhat or strongly opposed the idea.
“Raising the minimum age of sale to 21 could benefit the health of Americans in several ways,” Brian King, a co-author of the report and an acting deputy director for CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, said in a statement about the findings. “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.”
The Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences, said in a report earlier this spring that raising the age for sale of tobacco across the United States could prevent substantial numbers of teenagers from becoming addicted smokers.
Scientists on the panel concluded that setting a legal minimum age of 21 to purchase tobacco products would have a substantially greater impact than raising the age only to 19, in part because many teenagers often pick up a smoking habit from friends or relatives around their same age. The group found that raising the the minimum age would reduce deaths from smoking substantially, but the full benefits might not take hold for decades.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday also urged governments to more heavily tax cigarettes and other tobacco products, calling it a proven way to curb demand, save lives and generate money for other important public health measures.
The WHO said that while nearly three dozen countries impose taxes that exceed 75 percent of the retail price of each pack of cigarettes – many of them in Europe – other countries have maintained “extremely low” taxes on tobacco products, or no special taxes at all.
“Raising taxes on tobacco products is one of the most effective – and cost-effective – ways to reduce consumption of products that kill, while also generating substantial revenue,” WHO Director Margaret Chan said in announcing the report.
The WHO says that tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death around the world, killing about 6 million people every year. In the United States, smoking still kills nearly a half million people annually, according to the CDC.
Currently, the minimum legal age for tobacco use is 18 in most states, 19 in four states — Alaska, Alabama, New Jersey and Utah — and 21 in various municipalities across the country, from Needham, Mass., to New York City. Hawaii is the only state that prohibits the purchase of tobacco products to anyone under 21.
But according to a survey of more than 4,000 U.S. adults, the results of which were published Tuesday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, most Americans favor putting the age limit for tobacco sales on par with those of alcohol. Only a quarter of those surveyed said they somewhat or strongly opposed the idea.
“Raising the minimum age of sale to 21 could benefit the health of Americans in several ways,” Brian King, a co-author of the report and an acting deputy director for CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, said in a statement about the findings. “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.”
The Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences, said in a report earlier this spring that raising the age for sale of tobacco across the United States could prevent substantial numbers of teenagers from becoming addicted smokers.
Scientists on the panel concluded that setting a legal minimum age of 21 to purchase tobacco products would have a substantially greater impact than raising the age only to 19, in part because many teenagers often pick up a smoking habit from friends or relatives around their same age. The group found that raising the the minimum age would reduce deaths from smoking substantially, but the full benefits might not take hold for decades.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday also urged governments to more heavily tax cigarettes and other tobacco products, calling it a proven way to curb demand, save lives and generate money for other important public health measures.
The WHO said that while nearly three dozen countries impose taxes that exceed 75 percent of the retail price of each pack of cigarettes – many of them in Europe – other countries have maintained “extremely low” taxes on tobacco products, or no special taxes at all.
“Raising taxes on tobacco products is one of the most effective – and cost-effective – ways to reduce consumption of products that kill, while also generating substantial revenue,” WHO Director Margaret Chan said in announcing the report.
The WHO says that tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death around the world, killing about 6 million people every year. In the United States, smoking still kills nearly a half million people annually, according to the CDC.
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