Power Of Putnam Supports Bill Raising Age Limit For Tobacco

State lawmakers have introduced a bill that would increase the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21.

Bill Gibson is the Executive Director of the Power of Putnam Anti-Drug Coalition. He said the bill would be an advantage because 95-percent of people begin smoking before the age of 21.

“We believe that the big tobacco companies target the younger age groups to recruit new smokers and to get people addicted to nicotine at a younger age,” Gibson said. “If they can’t legally buy the products until 21 it will will at least give the opportunity to make a more informed decision about whether they want to start or not.”

Gibson said he supports the bill because it would reduce the availability of smoking materials to high school students.

“There are so many people in high school that are 18-years of age and have access to the tobacco products,” Gibson said.

The bill would also raise the legal purchasing limit for E-cigarettes and vaping materials.

Gibson said his organization will support any bill that helps reduce the death toll from tobacco usage.

“We’re concerned about the death toll and the serious lifetime addiction nicotine poses,” Gibson said. “Over 400,000 people are dying each year in America from tobacco-related illnesses. It’s a major health problem.”

Lawmakers believe the bill will help address Tennessee’s poor health rankings. Proponents say the bill could overreach on individual liberties.

A legislative fiscal note estimates the bill would annually cost the state about $7 million and local governments $1 million through lost sales tax revenues.

As of early January, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said six states had a tobacco age of 21. Virginia became the seventh last week.