Cook County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on November 26, to discuss raising the current age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.
The move to increase the age follows the Tobacco 21 policy that is sweeping the state and nation.
One of the main driving forces behind this move is vaping nicotine, the use of e-cigarettes by teenagers, which has been described as ‘epidemic’ by the Surgeon General. It is estimated that one-in-five high school students engage in vaping.
Both Hermantown and Duluth have adopted the Tobacco 21 ordinance. So far, 28 cities throughout Minnesota have passed a law banning tobacco sales to people under the age of 21.
Nationally, California, Hawaii, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington D.C. have banned the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21.
On November 23, the I.S.D. 166 school board was set to vote for a resolution supporting a minimum legal sales age of 21 for tobacco products. That vote would come after this week’s newspaper was printed, with results to follow next week.
Cook County Public Health and Human Services board supports the move to age 21, as does the North Shore Health (hospital board), which sent a letter to commissioners voicing their approval of the T-21 ordinance.
In the letter to the commissioners, the hospital board cited the 2015 Institute of Medicine report “Public Health Implications of Raising the Minimum Age of Legal Access to Tabaco Products.
Several things cited in that report include:
* Increasing the age of legal access to tobacco products will likely prevent or delay initiation of tobacco use by adolescents and young adults.
*Although changes in the minimum age of legal access to tobacco products will directly pertain to individuals who age 18 or older, the largest proportionate reduction in the initiation of tobacco use will likely occur among adolescents 15 to 17 years old.
* Raising the minimum age of legal access to tobacco products will likely lead to substantial reductions in smoking prevalence.
* Raising the legal age of legal access to tobacco products will likely lead to substantial decreases in smoking-related mortality.
In conclusion, “Vaping is increasing in our schools, and the modification of the tobacco ordinance can assist in limiting access to these materials to our youth.”
The public meeting will be held at the courthouse in the commissioner’s room at 9:30 a.m.
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