Hey all! Dawn here again! Over the last few weeks, the electronic cigarette summit has taken up a large swath of our time and focus. While it’s a great event that is chalked full of great information, it also means we miss some very important electronic cigarette headlines. Today we are going to look back at the last few weeks in the e-cigarette industry and see what we missed and what we can learn.
Electronic cigarette headlines 1st topic: T21 Law
Web MD
Bill Would Raise U.S. Legal Age to Buy Tobacco to 21
Washington Post
McConnell and Kaine want to raise the federal smoking age to 21
Wall Street Journal
McConnell Pushes to Raise Age for Tobacco Purchases
As you can see this particular issue is not just in some headlines. It’s being reported EVERYWHERE. So what is it all about? Well, Mitch McConnell (R) and Kaine (D) have gotten together to form a bipartisan bill, nicknamed the T21 bill, that would move the current smoking age from 18 to 21 years old. The bill has passed through the House and is on it’s way to the Senate.
Now if you have ever read my blogs (or in rare cases seen my personal FB) then you know that I am absolutely against government overreach and over-regulation of any type.
The T21 bill is not that.
It’s simply an answer to 18-year-old seniors bringing tobacco and vape products to school. Those products then get shared with other kids in their class…. see the operative word? Kids. While still in school the kids in a high school class are kids at school to learn, regardless of their age. Kids share new and cool stuff with each other, as they should. E-Cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes are NOT cool. So why put them into the hands of kids in high schools?
Nicotine:
- Nicotine is addictive regardless of the delivery method
- Addictions last a lifetime regardless of how young, naive and silly we are when we first get addicted.
- Burning tobacco kills. No wait, it does not just kill…it kills on a massive scale. In fact, tobacco-related illness has killed more people then all the wars COMBINED! Google it if you think this is an exaggeration. I did.
The reasons above seem like great reasons to support the T21 bill. What is the worst that will happen? Fewer kids get addicted to nicotine and some 19 and 20-year-olds need to work harder to feed the nicotine addiction that they should be trying to kick as soon as possible? Okay.
Electronic cigarette headlines 2nd topic: FDA vs Public Health Groups
USA Today
I have always admired A Clean Cigarette on their moral values,not selling or marketing to minors or never smokers and recycling.
SMOKING AGE TO 21, NOT A BAD THING. SLIM
Great read Dawn,I do remember before our recycling I would often find cartridges in the parking lot now it is very rare, Im pretty sure when one is found it is usually one that has rolled out of a car. I agree age 21 is not a bad idea.
I remember that too Kathi, I am glad we took the initiative to fix it.