Advocates Pushing Lawmakers to Raise Alabama’s Legal Tobacco Age to 21
Some doctors are pushing lawmakers to raise Alabama’s legal tobacco age from 19 to 21. The bill is sponsored by Representative Chris Pringle.
“Teenagers and adolescents are much more likely to become addicted to the nicotine in tobacco products at an early age even with experimental use,” says Susan Walley, a Pediatric Hospitalist with Children’s of Alabama.
That is just one reason why some are bringing awareness to “Tobacco 21.”
Advocates say, the initiative is aimed at increasing the age of purchase, use, and possession of tobacco products.
“The institute of medicine supports “Tobacco 21″ and says that it is going to decrease youth initiation by 25 percent,” says Walley.
Five states have already raised the legal tobacco age to 21.
Right now, the proposed bill in Alabama remains in the house judiciary committee.
“We as pediatricians and as parents-I’m a parent of three children want to make sure that we are giving our children the right messages and that the most important thing is that they shouldn’t be doing electronic cigarettes, fake devices or tobacco products in general,” says Walley.
Smoking raises your heart and blood pressure and it also creates an environment where you can have a stroke. So why not raise the age in which you can buy cigarettes,” says Lori Quiller, of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.
Advocates say, the initiative protects Alabama’s children.
“By raising that age of two years, it gives them an opportunity to think about it more,” says Quiller.
Tobacco Free Kids Alabama reports nearly 36,000 high school students in Alabama smoke tobacco products.
You can learn more about “Tobacco 21” at https://tobacco21.org/
