County Executive Mike Hein wants Ulster County to join an increasing number of communities across the country which have raised the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21. But county legislature chairman Ken Ronk says he’s not entirely convinced that the new law is needed.
Hein issued his call for “Tobacco 21” legislation as part of his Feb. 5 State of the County address. If approved, Ulster would join New York City and 10 upstate counties that have boosted the legal age for tobacco sales from 18 to 21. It’s a change long sought by groups like the American Heart, Lung and Cancer associations, which believe it could accelerate an overall decline in youth tobacco use. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, between 2011 and 2016, the number of high school students who reported smoking tobacco in the last 30 days declined by more than 15 percent to about 8 percent. A 2016 CDC survey found that 7 percent of middle school and 20 percent of high school students reported having used some type of tobacco product during their lifetime.
Proponents of Tobacco 21 laws point to research showing that parts of the human brain governing decision making and risk taking do not fully develop until the late teens or early 20s. (The same research was used to justify New York State lawmakers’ decision to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 last year.) Supporters of increasing the age of legal tobacco sales also note that CDC research shows that 90 percent of all smokers picked up the habit by age 18; nearly all had begun smoking before the age of 26.
“By the time someone’s 25 or 26, they’re not going to become a new smoker,” said Ellen Reinhard, director of Tobacco Free Action Communities of Ulster, Dutchess and Sullivan Counties. “So it’s great if we can delay the possibility of them picking up a cigarette for the first time.”
Reinhard said research showed raising the age on tobacco sales would likely lead to a 12 percent decline in overall smoking rates. That, she said, could help Ulster County cut a stubbornly high prevalence of smoking — 21 percent of all adults compared to 14 percent statewide.
Raising the age would also bring Ulster in line with neighboring Orange and Sullivan counties which have already passed Tobacco 21 legislation. Reinhard added that Ulster County had already demonstrated commitment to cutting tobacco use with a series of earlier initiatives dating back to the early 2000s, including retail licensing for tobacco sales and a tobacco ban in all county-owned properties.
“Ulster County has really become a leader in protecting our community and our kids,” said Reinhard.
But to become law, the Tobacco 21 initiative will need to pass muster with the Ulster County legislature. Chairman Ken Ronk said no legislation had been introduced yet, but added that he was skeptical.
“I’ve always believed that at the legal age of 18 people should be free to make their own decisions,” said Ronk. “This might just be on more way for government to protect people from their own decisions.”
Ronk said he was concerned about the impact of the new law on retailers, but added that he could be swayed if presented with concrete evidence that the new law would result in a lower risk of smoking over a lifetime.
“I’m always on board with making Ulster County healthier and if [Tobacco 21] really makes people less likely to smoke I could support it,” said Ronk. “But 18 is either going to be the age of responsibility for being an adult or it’s not.”
The American Heart Association advocates for policies at the federal, state and local levels that prohibit the sale of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21.
Tobacco use continues to be a significant public health concern and a leading cause of preventable death in the US. Though we have made some great strides, nearly 25% of high school students still report using tobacco products, and the U.S. Surgeon General estimated that nearly 6 million children will die prematurely in adulthood if current trends continue. Further, in 2013, 2.1 million people smoked cigarettes for the first time, half of which were under the age of 18. In fact, nearly 90% of smokers begin before age 18, and 95% begin before turning 26.
Raising the age to 21 would target the age range at which many habitual smokers consume their first cigarette. Further, it would combat the tobacco industry’s desire to attract a new, loyal generation of users and to re-engage those who have already quit.
Although I am 100% for anything that reduces smoking by any demographic. I feel it is my obligation to point this out.
14.2 percent of adults were smokers in 2016, compared to 14.5 the year before.
Smoking rates among adults age 18 to 24 is 11.7 percent, the lowest ever measured.
The high-school smoking rate also hit an all-time low of 4.3 percent in 2016.
I believe this county exec will simply try and take credit for a trend that has already been established. Just my opinion.
We send 18 year olds off to war where they may e killed or become handicapped. Why do you want to keep them from buying tobacco? They should make up there own mind. I quit 4 years ago. I’m 83 years old and smoked 60 years My Dad was a coal miner with black lung and he smoked most of his life. He passed away at age 95 years old. I feel what they add to the tobacco is what causes all the problems.