If you haven’t heard of the Tobacco 21 Bill, you’ll soon know all about it. This piece of legislation has been brought to the table by Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate Majority leader. The core of this legislation is to increase the age limit for being able to legally buy tobacco from 18 to 21 years old. Why does this concern us here at 99peliquid? It concerns us because within this Bill e cigarettes are included alongside tobacco cigarettes.
E Cigarette and Tobacco Cigarette Confusion
How many times does the vaping industry, do healthcare professionals, researchers, scientists and other experts in the field have to tell people that e cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes are not the same. Here in the UK we have had similar problems with the TPD, legislation governing tobacco with e cigarettes and e liquids tagged on for good measure. The concern we have, and by “we” I mean anyone who can see that vaping and smoking tobacco cigarettes are nothing alike and that using e cigarettes and e liquids offer a valid alternative to smoking that is at least 95% less harmful than tobacco (according to Public Health England, as reported in their May 2018 review into vaping).
Why Has Tobacco 21 Been Implemented?
If we were sceptical we might say it has something to do with upcoming elections and tobacco being a hot topic, particularly in America. The concerns about vaping teens are also something that concern parents, whether they vote or not. We’re not that cynical, though are a little concerned about the reported reasoning behind this new Bill.
Supporters claim that raising the age to 21 is in direct response to concerns about the number of adults and especially young adults/teens who use nicotine-containing products. We respect that, however, here is the UK smoking numbers are down. Indeed since the introduction of vaping as we know it today tobacco smoking rates are lower than they have been since rates started to be recorded on a national level. Some of this is down to the Go Smoke Free ban and great public health campaigns too, of course. Is there is a mixed message here? Is the concern in the US that has prompted the move to go forward with Tobacco 21 down to the nicotine or the tobacco?
Nicotine itself is addictive and can make someone feel poorly if they have too much of it. This is nothing compared to the hugely damaging (life shortening) effects of the toxic chemicals (as classified by WHO) contained within tobacco cigarettes and the smoke that they produce. There are concerns that the Tobacco 21 Bill and its wording sends the wrong message.
We are not opposed in theory to raising the age of smoking to twenty-one years old. The same age-restricted product protection processes regarding ID will be used to facilitate the change at the point of sale. Our concern is that when you “lump” vaping and smoking together, essentially giving vaping a very bad name, you run the risk of alienating smokers who would have considered switching.
Any teens who have smoked have done so while underage regardless of what the law says. Raising the age isn’t going to stop teens trying cigarettes before they reach adulthood. What will change these trends are more information about the dangers of smoking and for those who do try it and become addicted, info about how vaping can be a valid cessation tool.
In Conclusion
In theory, the Tobacco 21 legislation makes sense. On paper, it removes the ability for underage children and teens to be able to buy tobacco products and nicotine-containing products. Many feel that this is a limited piece of legislation in terms of what good it will actually do in terms of curbing smoking rates or cutting the number of teenagers who claim to have vaped before 18 years old or 21 years old.
What do you think? Does the Tobacco 21 proposal do more harm than good by putting e cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes together? Smokers smoked before vaping came along so some worry that the effort going into this bill could be more effective elsewhere, such as improving access to vaping and increasing public health campaign effectiveness around the dangers of smoking and effective ways of giving up smoking or switching to eventually using nicotine free e liquids. Time will tell what will happen with Tobacco 21 and what the results of the new legislation will be if it gets pushed through.