Should Connecticut raise the tobacco age from 18 to 21?

On By Fred McNultyIn Videos

Should Connecticut raise the tobacco age from 18 to 21?

That’s the question health advocates are asking people in Connecticut to consider. They argue that given 95% of smokers start smoking before they’re 21 years old, this ban could help prevent young people from becoming addicted. But some question the bill’s effectiveness, and others question whether vapor products, such as e-cigarettes, should be treated the same as traditional combustible cigarettes.

Extended interview with advocates:

Extended interview with Andrew O’Bright:

Citations:

#1: “Smoking Rate in U.S. Hits All-time Low, CDC Says.” CBS News, 19 June 2018, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/smoking-rate-in-u-s-hits-all-time-low/. Accessed 22 Apr. 2019.

#2: “The Cigarette Preferred by Doctors.” YouTube, 7 Aug. 2008, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKLpO9qhOE. Accessed 22 Apr. 2019.

#3: “McLovin Buys Booze (2007).” YouTube, 25 Oct. 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLLzlb1SN2M. Accessed 22 Apr. 2019.

#4: Wirzbicki, John. “Heather Somers Takes a Principled Stand.” CT Blue, 21 Apr. 2019, ctblueblog.com/?p=8334. Accessed 22 Apr. 2019.

#5: Belluz, Julia. “Study: Vaping Helps Smokers Quit. Sort Of.” Vox, 30 Jan. 2019, http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/1/30/18203743/vape-juul-e-cigarette-study. Accessed 22 Apr. 2019.

#6: “E-cigarettes: Facts, Stats and Regulations.” Truth Initiative, 3 Apr. 2019, truthinitiative.org/news/e-cigarettes-facts-stats-and-regulations. Accessed 22 Apr. 2019.

#7: “Recognizing Somers’ Productive Senate Record.” AP News, 31 Oct. 2018, http://www.apnews.com/51971b3de17e4333a851235301adac02. Accessed 22 Apr. 2019.

#8: “Son, I’ll Never Doubt You Again (The Simpsons).” YouTube, 10 Dec. 2015, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdBAVBBpiA. Accessed 23 Apr. 2019.

#9: Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association, http://www.sfata.org/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2019.

#10: Kramer, Jack. “Raising Age to Buy Tobacco in CT Gains Momentum.” Connecticut Post, 10 Apr. 2019, http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Raising-age-to-buy-tobacco-in-CT-gains-momentum-13756786.php. Accessed 24 Apr. 2019.

#11: Maps.app, Apple, Accessed 19 Dec. 2018. I used some screenshots from Apple’s Map application.

#12: Cara, Ed. “E-Cigarettes May Be Contaminated With Microbial Toxins, Study Finds.” Gizmodo, 24 Apr. 2019, gizmodo.com/e-cigarettes-may-be-contaminated-with-microbial-toxins-1834253265. Accessed 24 Apr. 2019.

#13: “San Francisco Moves to Ban E-cigarettes.” BBC News, 20 Mar. 2019, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47636176. Accessed 24 Apr. 2019.

#14: Jennifer Lee and Olivia Lank. “Hartford Councilman Proposes Ban on Vaping.” WFSB, 5 Sept. 2018, http://www.wfsb.com/news/hartford-councilman-proposes-ban-on-vaping/article_315b07e4-8902-5cdd-891e-506af874915d.html. Accessed 24 Apr. 2019.

#15: “House Bill 7200: AN ACT PROHIBITING THE SALE OF CIGARETTES, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND VAPOR PRODUCTS TO PERSONS UNDER AGE TWENTY-ONE.” Connecticut General Assembly, 17 Apr. 2019, http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2019&bill_num=7200. Accessed 24 Apr. 2019.

#16: Song in video: Birch, Daniel. “The Shape Of Nothing.”

#17: Outro Song: “Fill Me In” by Atwaters featuring Yeon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW0iKqFMoxo Used with artist’s consent. The contents and views of this video may not necessarily be shared with the artist.