The State of New York is planning on increasing the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21. According to a statement from Governor Cuomo’s office, the idea behind the change is to prevent underage accessing tobacco and vapor products from friends that are over 18. The Governor plans on including the new tobacco and vapor restriction in the 2019 state budget.
Increasing tobacco age laws is becoming more common around the country. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a similar measure into law just recently. Polling shows that three out of four Americans favor a smoking age of 21.
Nationwide, new age laws that apply to cigarettes are also applied to vapor products. The FDA has determined that electronic cigarettes are a tobacco product.As vaping rates have increased, traditional smoking has decreased. Nonetheless, many law makers and special interests see vaping as a health risk. The Surgeon General has declared teen vaping to be an epidemic.
Why Has Vaping Angered Lawmakers In Ways Smoking Never Did?
What are legislators and anti-tobacco groups far more aggressive toward vaping than they ever were toward smoking? That is a great question. If you look at teen smoking rates in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the rates were much higher. Where were the age limits then? Where was the legislation and urgency when teen smoking was at its height? Makes you wonder.
We can only speculate as to why vaping generates such vitriol from the establishment. But perhaps it is the origins of vaping. After all, electronic cigarettes were an innovation driven by independent American entrepreneurs, not from established corporate or pharmaceutical channels. Vaping disrupted the natural order of things and ruffled some feathers to say the least.
Overall, Apollo Electronic Cigarettes is more than happy to comply with all age laws. We fully support these laws because our products are strictly intended for adult tobacco consumers. Many wish we would have seen these aggressive measures 30 years ago! As for choosing an appropriate age, that is up to each state. Apollo shares the concerns about tobacco harm and we stand ready to comply and work with all stakeholders to prevent underage tobacco use of all kinds.
