Editor’s note: This commentary is by John R. Hughes, MD, who is a professor at the Vermont Center on Health and Behavior at the University of Vermont.
[W]e have not yet won the battle against smoking among our kids. Despite increased taxes, smoking restrictions, and media spots, 25 percent of Vermont youth smoked in the last month. In fact, 89 percent of states have lower rates of smoking in kids than Vermont. And now, electronic cigarettes are all the rage; especially the JUUL e-cigarette that kids love because you can hide your use.
Clearly we need to try something new. The U.S. National Academy of Medicine, six states and 350 cities have endorsed raising the age for smoking and e-cigarette purchase to 21 as the new policy to reduce smoking and e-cigarette use.
This recommendation is based on solid science. Our use of 18 as the age of maturity was codified over 100 years ago, before we knew that the centers of the brain that control impulsivity, ability to resist social pressure, thrill seeking, etc. aren’t fully developed until ages 20-25. In addition, almost all (90 percent) of adults who smoke, started before they were 21, so any policy that puts off the age cigarettes are available should have a big effect on the chances of kids becoming addicted to cigarettes or e-cigarettes. One of the ways increasing the age of purchase works is that most kids who smoke start between ages 15 and 17, and 18- to 21-year-old schoolmates are one of their major suppliers. So cutting off this supply route should reduce addiction rates.
This is why I’m advocating for Vermont lawmakers to raise the sale age of tobacco products and e-cigarettes to 21. I’ve written about this issue before — two years ago. Since then there has been two big changes. First, the huge popularity of electronic cigarettes in kids. Use of e-cigarettes has increased 75 percent in kids. Second, more information that adolescents who get addicted to nicotine are much more likely to develop addiction to other drugs such as opioids. So I think now we have an even greater reason to raise the age of purchase to 21.
We must also keep up our current efforts to dissuade adolescents from smoking. The Vermont Tobacco Control Program has had success. In recent years, only 10 percent of the monies obtained from the tobacco industry as compensation for the harm it has inflicted, has been used for tobacco control, and the Legislature keeps cutting it even more. We absolutely must keep up our efforts either by funding the program from tobacco industry monies or by dedicating a small percent of Vermont tobacco taxes.
Raising the age of cigarette purchase to 21 is, to me, a no-brainer. This commonsense legislation will save lives.
