Young holds Tobacco 21 Press Conference in Lafayette
LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Today, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined doctors and public health officials for a press conference at IU Health Arnett Hospital in Lafayette regarding his new Tobacco to 21 Act. The bipartisan legislation would prohibit the sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21.
“With smoking and vaping on the rise, we can no longer ignore tobacco’s detrimental side effects. By raising the smoking age to 21, we can save more than 220,000 lives and prevent countless individuals from suffering the damaging side effects of tobacco usage,” said Senator Young.
Senator Young recently introduced the Tobacco to 21 Act along with Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah). The bipartisan bill has received widespread support by health organizations and advocates, and recent polling shows that 75 percent of Hoosiers support raising the legal age.
The South Bend Tribune, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Terre Haute Tribune-Star, Indiana Business Journal, and KPC Newspapers in northeast Indiana have all endorsed the Tobacco to 21 Act. Senator Young also penned an op-ed for CNN and issued a video regarding the need for this legislation.
The Tobacco to 21 Act is supported by the Academic Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American College of Preventive Medicine, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Pediatric Society, American Public Health Association, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, First Focus Campaign for Children, National African-American Tobacco Prevention Network, Pediatric Policy Council, Society for Pediatric Research, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, National Association of County and City Health Officials, and Trust for America’s Health.
who believes that changing the age at which a person can smoke moves up BY THREE YEARS COULD SAVE 220,000 lives.. of course they don’t mention a time frame that this will happen over. If you consider the typical smoker will do so for 40 yrs … so that would break down to 15 lives a day… there is reportedly 450,000/yr deaths from the use of tobacco. On the positive side, maybe Congress has become “smart enough” to understand that prohibition doesn’t work or maybe they just can’t figure how to replace all the “sin tax money” that comes from tobacco ? Of course we have 22 veteran that commit suicide EVERY DAY, but not much seems to move forward on trying to address this issue.
None of us really know how many people die from illegal opiate OD’s or commit suicide from lack of proper pain management.. but since abt 40% of Congress is attorneys they continue to treat opiate abuse as a CRIME that the judicial has considered it since 1917. Isn’t it reassuring that the DOJ is still functioning under a 100+ year old opinion ?
Filed under: General Problems
Many states already have set the age limits to 21 already.
When one gives it serious thought, tobacco claims seven(7) lives PER SECOND in the U S of A.
Opioids, cocaine, and alcohol combined do not approach the carnage in our nation tobacco inflicts annually.
But it is a legal product.
And well (tar)heeled in lobbying$$$.
Mostly to southern Republican gentlemen.
They like the dollars. Just ask Mitch McConnell about praying hard for his wife, cabinet member Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao’s millions “curtsey” of the very traffic industry she “regulates”.
Life is good for rich Republicans, however the rest of us need a cigarette break just to cope with surviving in TrumpLandia!!!!.
I fully expect Steve to (cowardly) remove my post due to its “profane” or “inflammatory” nature since he is a MAGA 2020 guy.
Maybe he will grow a spine and have some integrity when condemning the Kolodnys’ going forward by leaving this post????
At least one(1) chicken who votes for Colonel Sanders must hear it to remove it though!!!!!
What are they doing about the lives lost to due to lack of proper pain treatment? It’s tragic and no one is doing anything about it. It’s truly time to step up and be heard via our votes!! How many suicides will occur today because of pain? And who is writing about them?
That’s pretty religious, telling a body what they can put in their body. They can ban cyanide if they want, …No… not even cyanide.