Type down total 2 pages [already written but add more]- Tobacco Law 21
NotAllF
TOBACCO-LAW21.docxTOBACCO 21 LAW 5
Although tobacco is legalized by law, it is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Tobacco control efforts have recently been geared towards raising the minimum age of legally purchasing tobacco to 21 years. This is to raise tobacco-free children and consequently reduce the number of deaths resulting from tobacco use. Raising the age limit is justified because those that are 21 and above are less likely to be hanging out with those that are under 18 years; this reduces the teen’s access to tobacco. Secondly, it would reduce the difficulty in telling whether the buyers are underage which consequently reduces illegal sales. Thirdly, a high percentage (94%) of adult smokers first experimented before the age of 21 years and 81% before the age of 18 years (Huang et al, 2018). It is expected that the raise will have similar effects as those experienced with alcohol. In alcohol, it led to reduced alcohol consumption among the youth, reduced drunk driving fatalities and reduced alcohol dependency.
Background
The negative impact of nicotine has necessitated the implementation of this law because nicotine companies usually target young adults as their key market. This has led to an increase in the number of dependency smokers in their adulthood. Research has shown that every day an approximate of 350 teenagers under the age of 18 years become regular smokers. One in every three will die as a result of smoking (Huang et al, 2018). It is the responsibility of the government and the public, in general, to protect the youth from smoking and consequently save lives. Eleven states have joined in on the Tobacco 21 law and raised the age limit to 21 years. They are Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Jersey, Virginia, Utah, and Washington.
History of Tobacco Law 21
Many countries throughout the world have raised the minimum legal age for the purchase and use of tobacco. This includes Singapore, Honduras, Kuwait, Samoa, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. In Singapore however, it began to be raised in January 2019 to 19 years, and the age will be raised progressively to 21 years by 2021 (Amul & Pang, 2018). In some countries, the implementation was difficult at the begging due to resistance and lack of compliance. However, there are countries such as Uganda where compliance was not a problem. After a specific period, the compliance rates increased, and the countries started to experience the positive impact of the legislation (Adebiyi & Oluwafemi, 2018). It led to a reduction in the number of smoking youths, and this is expected to be projected in the future for adults. The number of deaths associated with complications arising from tobacco smoking and partial smoking is also projected to reduce significantly.
In the USA, tobacco 21 is a campaign carried out by the Preventing Tobacco Addiction, aimed at raising the minimum legal age for sale and use of tobacco as 21 years. The foundation was established in 1996, and its main aim is to reduce the negative impact of tobacco smoking through preventive efforts (Apollonio & Glantz, 2015). The first state to sign the tobacco 21 bill was Hawaii, and the implementation was to begin on 1st January 2016. The penalty for breaking the law was $10 fine for the first offense and $50 for the second or community service. Retailers selling to those under 21 faced a penalty ranging from $500 to $2000. Hawaii was closely followed by California where the bill was signed on 4th May 2016. Washington, D.C. signed the bill on 1st October 2018, and it was paired by a raise on cigarette tax by 68% which made them more costly. In the USA, the tobacco 21 law applies to e-cigarettes which have become very common among the youth. Apart from the states, there are local movements, and many localities and cities have enacted the law (Morain & Malek, 2017).
The Impact
A study carried out to determine the effectiveness of the tobacco 21 law in California reported that there was a reduction in the number of youths purchasing tobacco after the implementation of the tobacco 21 law. Retailers pose a problem especially the tobacco-only retailers as they violate the law and sell to individuals below 21 years. In California, a high percentage of the youth were in support of the law (Zang, Vuong, Andersen-Rodgers & Roeseler, 2018). This is a good indication as it would project to higher reductions in the number of youth that were smoking. The results are similar for the other states and cities which have implemented the law. Tobacco hurts health. Therefore, the tobacco 21 law is a welcome relief to many. It has been embraced in countries around the world where it has had a positive impact. In the USA, it has been implemented a few states and regions where it has also had a good response. The law includes all tobacco products and the penalty for those who break it. It has led to a reduction in the number of youth smokers and consequently an improvement in their health and quality of life.
Work cited
Adebiyi, A. O., & Oluwafemi, A. (2017). Assessment of tobacco control efforts in three sub-Saharan African countries. Nigerian postgraduate medical Journal, 24(1), 8.
Amul, G. G. H., & Pang, T. (2018). Progress in tobacco control in Singapore: Lessons and challenges in the implementation of the framework convention on tobacco control. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, 5(1), 102-121.
Apollonio, D. E., & Glantz, S. A. (2016). Minimum ages of legal access for tobacco in the United States from 1863 to 2015. American journal of public health, 106(7), 1200-1207.
Huang, L. L., Lazard, A., Pepper, J., Noar, S., Ranney, L., & Goldstein, A. (2017). Impact of The Real Cost campaign on adolescents’ recall, attitudes, and risk perceptions about tobacco use: a national study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(1), 42.
Morain, S. R., & Malek, J. (2017). Minimum age of sale for tobacco products and electronic cigarettes: ethical acceptability of US “tobacco 21 laws”. American journal of public health, 107(9), 1401-1405.
Zhang, X., Vuong, T. D., Andersen-Rodgers, E., & Roeseler, A. (2018). Evaluation of California’s ‘Tobacco 21’law. Tobacco control, 27(6), 656-662.
