Lawmakers in Hawaii passed a bill last Friday that would essentially raise the legal smoking age to 21 statewide. If the law is approved and signed, Hawaii will become the first state to raise its age limit on smoking.
The bill also covers the banning of e-cigarette sale and purchase to those under 21 years old. A recent study has revealed that e-cigarette smoking among teenagers has actually tripled, as kids favor this over regular cigarettes as the "lesser evil" of the two.
"The activities we've engaged in over the years to manage smoking, our additional efforts in education, the raising of cigarette taxes, this is a continuation of those policies," remarked one of the sponsors of the bill, Senator Rosalyn Baker. "To me, giving someone the choice to have lung cancer is not a good choice," she added.
Majority of the states in America have set the legal smoking age at 18 years old or 19 years old, but some counties have already initiated raising theirs to 21. Washington and California have also pushed for the same statewide changes in January, but its measures are still being studied for its cost-effectiveness.
In the United States, there are 16 million Americans who live with a disease caused by smoking, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It is the leading cause of preventable deaths, and at least 5.6 million Americans under 18 years old are expected to die from smoking-related diseases.
Several researchers have noted that a higher age limit for tobacco purchases - between 21-25 years old at least - will significantly help with bringing down smoking-related health problems. Studies have also pointed out that many adults in America support raising the legal smoking age.
Hawaii's bill is awaiting approval from its governor, David Ige, who is said to be currently reviewing it. His decision is expected to be handed this week.
