WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 12, 2015 – “A report released today by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) predicts that raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products has the potential to dramatically improve public health in this country.
“According to the report, raising the minimum legal age to 21 is predicted to reduce smoking prevalence by about 12 percent and smoking-related deaths by nearly 10 percent for future generations. With 2,800 youth trying their first cigarette every day and many using multiple tobacco products, powerful interventions are needed to keep youth from life-long addictions to these deadly products.
“Raising the minimum legal age to purchase tobacco can be implemented as part of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy that includes proven ways to reduce death and suffering from tobacco-related illnesses. Research shows that frequent tobacco tax increases, smoke-free workplace laws and fully-funded tobacco cessation and prevention programs reduce youth initiation and help tobacco users quit. Any state or local legislative proposal that includes raising the minimum legal age for purchasing tobacco should include a plan for enforcement, as well as monitoring and analysis of the impact to add to the body of research supporting this intervention.
“Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in this country. The U.S. Surgeon General estimates that 5.6 million youth alive today will lose their lives prematurely if we don’t do more to reduce current smoking rates. State and federal policymakers must support proven policy interventions that reduce tobacco use so our children can grow up in a tobacco-free generation.”
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Lauren Walens or Steven Weiss
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: (202) 661-5763 or (202) 661-5711
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
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