New law prohibits tobacco purchases for under 21
March 31, 2016
The city of Gloucester, MA recently passed a law that will raise the required age to purchase tobacco and nicotine products from 18 to 21. The Gloucester Board of Health voted on the matter on March 3rd and the new law is set to take effect on June 1, 2016.
One of the key reasons for making the decision was because neighboring cities are also making the decision. Gloucester became the 100th city in Massachusetts to approve this law.
People ages 18 to 20 will not be grandfathered in within the city of Gloucester. The Gloucester Youth Council was in favor of the age being raised to 21.
¨Raising the age would make it harder for teens to buy tobacco products or have others buy them for them,” said sophomore Gloucester Youth Council member Gianna Cabral. ¨This would make these items less accessible and help keep tobacco out of schools.¨
¨Nicotine is not only highly addictive, but can also have a stronger effect on non-fully developed brains. Delaying the age when youth first use it can reduce the risk that they will become addicted smokers,¨ said sophomore Caroline Enos, who is also a member of the Gloucester Youth Council.
Studies in the United States show that the percent of tobacco and nicotine products purchased would drop about 12% if it were made a federal law.
Julia Butler • Oct 28, 2016 at 7:08 pm
(I forgot a word in the 1st comment)
Wait? So what does that mean for people who are 19 and 20 who could purchase cigarettes but now cannot? I’m against smoking, and support efforts to stop it from starting in young people, but many laws do grandfather in people who are at the older limit. The law itself sounds good, but one has to think of the actual logistics of beginning to implement the law and how it will affect people for whom buying cigarettes is already legal. I wish they could have just set a birth date as a cutoff point. I can see it being taken away from 18 year olds before they can start buying, but what is to become of the 19 and 20 year olds who already were buying? Are they to go “cold turkey” until they hit 21?
Julia Butler • Oct 28, 2016 at 7:07 pm
Wait? So does that mean for people who are 19 and 20 who could purchase cigarettes but now cannot? I’m against smoking, and support efforts to stop it from starting in young people, but many laws do grandfather in people who are at the older limit. The law itself sounds good, but one has to think of the actual logistics of beginning to implement the law and how it will affect people for whom buying cigarettes is already legal. I wish they could have just set a birth date as a cutoff point. I can see it being taken away from 18 year olds before they can start buying, but what is to become of the 19 and 20 year olds who already were buying? Are they to go “cold turkey” until they hit 21?