Michigan could raise smoking age to 21
The American state of Michigan could become the third state that would raise the smoking age to 21.
A package of bills introduced in the state Legislature last week includes the fact that the state on the shores of Lake Michigan would become the third American state to raise the smoking age, in an effort to stop teenagers from smoking.
At the moment, the only two states in the USA that have the smoking age to 21 are California and Hawaii, with similar efforts in New Jersey being brought to a halt by Governor Chris Christie.
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Opponents of the law consider that it may send another conflicting message to 18-year-olds, with the teenagers having the impression that the society considers them mature enough to vote and fight in wars, but not responsible enough for making choices regarding alcohol and tobacco consumption. Moreover, they argue that this might lead to many teenagers going onto the black market in order to get tobacco.
The bills also raise the age for sales of chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes and hookahs, with the only exception being tobacco cessation products like nicotine gum.
A 2015 report from the Institute of Medicine projected the fact that the minimum smoking age of 21 on a national level would drop the number of adult smokers to 12 percent, although they admitted that the report lacked.
“Overall, in the absence of transformative changes in the tobacco market, social norms and attitudes, or in the knowledge of patterns and causes of tobacco use, the committee is reasonably confident that raising the (minimum legal age) will reduce tobacco use initiation, particularly among adolescents 15 to 17 years of age; improve the health of Americans across the lifespan; and save lives,” the report stated.
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