ANDERSON — New legislation signed last Friday by President Donald Trump will raise the age to buy tobacco and vaping products to 21.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, was one of the sponsors of the bill that was included in the spending bill.
“Policymakers should see Tobacco 21 as a starting point, not the end of tobacco prevention,” said Karesa Knight-Wilkerson, executive director of Intersect.
“Here in Indiana, where our smoking rate among adults is one of the highest in the nation at 24%, and our youth e-cigarette use has increased over 300% since 2012, multiple strategies must be implemented.”
One of those strategies include removing flavored e-cigarettes and tobacco products including menthol cigarettes.
According to a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, 53.4% of middle school users and 64.6% of high school users reported using at least one type of flavored tobacco.
E-cigarette company Juul and Marlboro-cigarette maker Altria supported raising the age leading some to wonder whether they were trying to head off another bill, Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019, that would have eliminated almost all flavors and prohibited online sales.
“T21 bill is good but I hope that that’s not what they’re trying to do, to appease people who want flavoring banned as well,” said Knight-Wilkerson.
Owner of Greywolf Vape Shop, JR Rigdon would rather see enforcement of what’s on the books instead of more laws.
“Kids are going to get it. I don’t care what age you put on it, kids are going to get it,” Rigdon said.
Greywolf’s sales system requires the scanning of IDs preventing human error or indifference when it comes to checking a customer’s age.
But not everybody is as diligent and the kids know where those places are, he said.
“Putting laws out there you got to back those rules up and they’re not doing it, that’s the biggest thing,” Rigdon said.
His store has seen a big drop in business since the e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury or EVALI outbreak this summer that has claimed 54 lives.
The CDC has linked the outbreak to the use of THC-containing vaping products that also contained Vitamin E acetate.
“I want to stress that this does not mean that there are not other substances in e-cigarette or vaping products that have or are capable of causing lung injury,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat during a press briefing last week.
Rigdon believes banning flavors would be the wrong move.
“I’ve got several friends that quit (smoking) because of it,” Rigdon said. “ They love vaping, they feel better.”
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