Reps. Ackert and Srinivasan Ignite Conversation on Increasing the Age to Purchase Tobacco Products from 18 to 21

HARTFORD- Today, State Representatives Tim Ackert (R-8) and Dr. Prasad Srinivasan (R-31) stood hand-in-hand with the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association and their colleagues in the General Assembly to call for increasing the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.

Reps. Ackert & Srinivasan said Connecticut should put the health of children first and join the state of Hawaii in passing legislation to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco to 21. Other states around the country, such as California, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, are currently considering legislation that would curb smoking among adolescent youth. Currently, 135 local municipalities in nine states, including New York City, Boston, Cleveland, and both Kansas Cities, have also raised the tobacco sale age to 21, with numerous cities and towns across America joining the fight daily.

Since 1999, the state of Connecticut has received $2 billion from the Tobacco Settlement Fund. Yet, the General Assembly has disbursed only $28 million of the money between 2003 and 2015. Thus, only 1.4% of the Tobacco Settlement money has been earmarked for education and smoking prevention programs, which is supposed to be the intent of the fund.

“For years, the state of Connecticut has decided to raid the Tobacco Settlement Fund to balance the budget instead of using the money to educate our children about the dangers of smoking, and it’s time for someone to stand up and say enough is enough,” said Rep. Ackert. “We should be taking a two-step approach to eliminate the use of tobacco among our young adults. First, we need to use existing funds for prevention, and second, we need to increase the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.”

In a recent report released by the Institute of Medicine they found that 98 percent of people who ever smoked tried their first cigarette before they were 25 years old. Furthermore, the study says changing the age could prevent 249,000 premature deaths and lead to 45,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer.

“Raising the smoking age to 21 is a public health issue, not a revenue issue or partisan one,” said Rep. Srinivasan. “We cannot be hesitant in taking this critical step to protect the lives of Connecticut’s youths.”

The current bill proposal before the legislature’s Public Health Committee, S.B. 290, An Act Concerning the Sale and Purchase of Tobacco Products, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Vapor Products and Signage Concerning the Use of Such Products and Systems, has received bipartisan support in the House and Senate and is awaiting further action.

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