U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell said he will introduce a bill raising the minimum age to buy cigarettes, vaping devices and other tobacco products from 18 to 21 across the country.
During a news conference in Louisville Thursday, McConnell said he will introduce the legislation in May.
鈥淏y raising the age you could legally purchase to 21, tobacco won鈥檛 be in most high schools, presenting fewer opportunities for children to get their hands on vaping devices,鈥� McConnell said.
have shown that raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 would have a dramatic effect on the number of teens who smoke or use e-cigarettes. Ben Chandler, president of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, said that鈥檚 because most teens under age 18 get the vaping pens and cigarettes from older friends.
鈥淪ixteen- and 17-year-olds don鈥檛 typically hang with those that are 21 and older,鈥� Chandler said. 鈥淪o tobacco 21 laws make it, without question, harder for them to access tobacco.鈥�
McConnell鈥檚 announcement follows failed attempts in multiple states to raise the tobacco age, including in and . Earlier this week two U.S. House members 鈥� Democratic Representatives Frank Pallone from New Jersey and Donna Shalala from Florida 鈥� introduced a similar to raise the smoking age.
McConnell said he鈥檚 hopeful that he鈥檒l be successful in passing the bill as the leader of the Senate.
鈥淎s you well know, I鈥檓 in a particularly good position to enact legislation,鈥� McConnell said. 鈥淎nd this is going to be a top priority that I鈥檒l be working on now.鈥�
, including Arkansas, Illinois, Maine, Utah and Virginia 鈥� have raised the minimum age to buy tobacco to 21, along with at least 450 localities, including Chicago, Cleveland and Washington, D.C., according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
The percentage of adults who smoke cigarettes in the U.S. has declined dramatically in the past few decades 鈥� aboutof adults smoked in 2005, compared to in 2016.
Meanwhile, . But 20.8 percent used e-cigarettes, or vaping pens. In Kentucky, a little more than 14 percent of Kentucky high school students reported smoking cigarettes in 2017, while about the same percentage reported vaping, which is similar to e-cigarettes.
Juul Labs controls about 70 percent of the e-cigarette market. In a statement Thursday, CEO Kevin Burns applauded McConnell鈥檚 proposal.
鈥淲e commend Senator McConnell for announcing this legislation as we strongly support raising the purchasing age for all tobacco products, including vapor products, to 21 and have been actively supporting legislation to do this at the federal level and in states across the country. JUUL Labs is committed to eliminating combustible cigarettes, the number one cause of preventable death in the world and to accomplish that goal, we must restrict youth usage of vapor products. Tobacco 21 laws fight one of the largest contributors to this problem 鈥� sharing by legal-age peers 鈥� and they have been shown to dramatically reduce youth usage rates. That is why we will continue to work with lawmakers across the country to enact these effective policies.鈥�
Louisville Senator Julie Raque Adams said she鈥檚 also supportive of McConnell鈥檚 effort. She has previously sponsored tobacco-related bills in the Kentucky legislature. At Thursday鈥檚 press conference, Raque Adams shared a story about her own sons using vaping products without knowing that the products contained nicotine. She said she found out after her sons had physical exams.
鈥淪o I sat them down and I said, 鈥榞uys, why do you all have nicotine in your system?鈥� And they said, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 smoke. We don鈥檛 smoke mom.鈥� They said, 鈥榓ll we鈥檝e done is vape,鈥欌�� Adams said. 鈥淓ven my own kids didn鈥檛 understand that there was nicotine and an addiction in that vein.鈥�
have shown teens who start vaping are more likely to smoke cigarettes later. In addition, there is emerging that shows vaping can lead to a condition known as and other illnesses.
鈥淲hen teens vape at 15 that could be taking the first step toward serious health problems throughout their entire lives,鈥� McConnell said.
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