San Francisco has raised its smoking age to 21
Smoking is a killer.
A recent American Cancer Society study shows that even with significant dropping smoking rates, cigarettes still account for about 3 out of 10 deaths in the United States.
Starting on June 1st, people who want to buy tobacco products in San Francisco will have to be at least 21 years old. San Francisco has raised its smoking age to 21.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the measure last Tuesday, CNN reported.
The city of San Francisco now joins Boston, New York, and over 100 other U.S. cities raising the age minimum to buy cigarettes, tobacco, and other tobacco products.
Teenagers, especially ones between ages 15-17, are the most susceptible to addiction, as their brains are still developing. This comes from a study by the Institute of Medicine.
According to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48% of middle school and high school students have reported being exposed to secondhand smoke.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has highly recommended increasing the legal tobacco age to 21 across the country. According to the Institute of Medicine report, increasing the age minimum would result in almost 250,000 fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer lung cancer deaths from the years 2000-2019.
It would also mean that high school would no longer be old enough to buy tobacco, said Karen Wilson, an associate professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “Many children under 18 get tobacco from those over 18 at their school,” she explained.
“Tobacco (is) arguably the most addictive substance on the planet, which has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, in any way, shape or form,” said CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. “No matter what your age, smoking is one of the single worst things you can do to your body.”
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REFERENCES:
1. “Smoking Still Causes Large Proportion of Cancer Deaths in the United States.” American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, 9 Dec. 2014. Web. 7 Mar. 2016.
2. “San Francisco Raises Smoking Age to 21.” CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
3. “Clinical Practice Policy to Protect Children From Tobacco, Nicotine, and Tobacco Smoke.” Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
4. “Public Health Implications of Raising the Minimum Age of Legal Access to Tobacco Products.” Institute of Medicine. Institute of Medicine, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2016.
5. “Prevalence and Determinants of Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Middle and High School Students.” Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2016.
