Virginia looks to raise age limit on tobacco products

[proboardslol]

https://wtop.com/virginia/2019/01/virginia-looks-to-raise-age-limit-on-tobacco-products/

Virginia looks to raise age limit on tobacco products

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Tobacco-friendly Virginia, where the early economy was powered by the leafy plant and the industry continues to hold great sway, is preparing to put new limits on who can buy tobacco products.
Citing the rapid growth of teenage vaping, GOP leaders in the majority-Republican General Assembly announced Thursday they are backing legislation to raise the age limit on buying tobacco products from 18 to 21. Virginia-based Altria, one of the biggest tobacco companies in the world, said it supports the proposal.
If successful, Virginia would join several other states that have raised the age limit of purchasing tobacco projects. While traditional tobacco use among teenagers has been declining, state Republicans said they’ve grown increasingly concerned about a sharp increase in teenage vaping.
“Obtaining vaping products from friends and classmates who are already 18 years old is just too easy for the younger kids. Raising the age will have a positive effect on our schools,” said GOP Speaker Kirk Cox, a retired school teacher.

[Revenge282]

Winners and such, but what about the argument that you're 18 and you can go to war but not buy beer? How is that different than this situation?

Trust me I'd love to wipe vaping and tobacco out in an instant and never look back. But, why not just tax it heavily and move that money into campaigns to kick addiction and prevent youth usage?

[knoxed]

I agree with the first paragraph but for the second one I think taxing it really heavily will spawn more cigarette smuggling ( dont know how it is in the US but here you can get really cheaper tobbaco from southern countries ) and tbh would that money really go into campaigns in the end? I kind of doubt it.

[ConcreteBath]

This is fucking stupid. What the actual fuck is wrong with Americans? There is literally no argument for not having the age limit being 18 for alcohol, tobacco, gambling, voting, legal contacts, loans, joining the military, smoking marijuana etc etc. Pushing it back to 21 is just fucking dumb. Either make up your fucking mind and everyone's a minor until 21, or stick to 18. Couldn't really actually raise the age because you'd have a lot more trouble finding kids to get killed in Afghanistan. Why the fuck do your politicians have such a massive erection for fucking over the rights of young people?

[Revenge282]

I'd imagine that with a tax that money is marked for causes, just like road use taxes like tolls and such. In an ideal world, that's my solution. As far as snuggling, I'd imagine it's the same premise as legalizing weed and defeating prohibition in the past. But again, I'm not really an economist so I could be out my ass here.

[Somepotato]

IMO there needs to be harder regulation on tobacco products. Second hand it still can be very lethal; vaping does reduce this but some vape juices have rediculously high tobacco content in them and that's just absurd IMO.

However: does this ban only include vapes? I'm not sure but it looks like it, and if they rage the age limit it should be broad sweeping. Vapes are demonstrably almost significantly less unhealthy than your standard cigarette, so if this is only e-cigs being regulated then I wouldn't be surprised at the GOP being the GOP and that cigarette company being pro-this bill.