New research shows that California’s decision to raise the age requirement for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21 may have already begun to have a positive effect on youth smoking rates as data from the report suggests that the rate of underage tobacco purchases in the state has dropped since the new law went into effect.
According to the research, which was published in the journal Tobacco Control, the rate at which retailers sell tobacco to those under the age of 18 has dropped significantly, from 10.3% prior to the law going into effect to 5.7% after into went into effect.
The aforementioned rates are based on surveys in which teen decoys were sent into retail tobacco shops to attempt to purchase tobacco.
Experts had previously predicted that teen access to tobacco products would be limited by raising the age requirement for buying tobacco products, as teenagers would no longer be able to access such products through their slightly older friends.
In response to the report’s findings, report co-author April Roeseler, the California Tobacco Control Program chief, said that she thinks the early signs of success with the new law are “indicative of the groundwork we’re been doing in California for nearly three decades.”
“I think we expected that this would be a tough law to implement and get compliance with, but I think it’s just indicative of the groundwork we’ve been doing in California for nearly three decades.”
According to the report, 98.6% of tobacco product retailers were aware of the new law raising the legal age to buy tobacco products within seven months of the law going into effect.
The report’s authors concluded in light of their findings that the findings suggest a high level of awareness and support for the law may have helped contribute to the reduction in illegal tobacco sales to youths under the age of 18 in the state. This high level of support and awareness may have also contributed to the widespread adherence by retailers to the new law, the report’s authors theorized.
In Idaho, a bill similar to the one California passed raising the state age requirement for buying tobacco products was shutdown after lawmakers rejected the bill.
In Tennessee, lawmakers have introduced a similar bill to raise the state smoking and vaping age, only from 18 to 19 instead of 18 to 21.
In other news, despite age restrictions imposed on such products by regulators, teens across the U.S. are reportedly vaping inside of schools, causing some schools to issue warnings to parents and faculty.
What do you think of California’s decision to raise the legal age requirement for buying tobacco products in the state?
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