California doctors are doing their best to get underage smokers to”butt” out.
In another step toward making smoking more difficult for youths,the 35,000-member California Medical Association announced that theywould support any legislation to raise the legal age of personspurchasing or using tobacco products.
The physicians association wants to raise the legal age ofpurchasing from 18 to 21 years of age.
The CMA House of Delegates also voted to support increased finesand enforcement efforts to prevent adolescents from being exposed totobacco products.
Obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Leonard Klay, who introduced themeasure, said in a press release that he was “very pleased” that theCMA decided to support the policy.
“This is great news for the health of all Californians,” hesaid. “We know that people who start smoking at a young age,especially, become addicted to deadly nicotine. My hope is that ahigher age would help prevent some of these horrible smoking deathspeople suffer.”
Heather Campbell, CMA media relations manager, said theorganization has always backed legislation that fights big tobaccocompanies and their marketing strategies.
“Doctors feel strongly about supporting this because they see thedevastating effects of smoking all the time,” Campbell said. “About480,000 people die each year from smoking-related causes, and 90percent of smokers become addicted to cigarettes before the age of21.”
Is the measure in response to failed education about smokingdangers, or in response to successful marketing strategies by bigtobacco companies?
“The measure is mostly in response to the success of tobaccocompanies successfully luring younger people to smoke,” she said.”California has come further than any other state in the nation — oreven in the world for that matter — in educating people, and it hashad significant results.
“The CMA would ultimately like to make California the ‘no-smoking’section of the world.”
Is there any evidence that raising the legal age to purchase orsmoke cigarettes will curb smoking?
“There is no evidence now, but it has never been done before, sowe won’t know if it will work until it goes into effect,” Campbellsaid. “We know that some people are going to smoke regardless of theage limit, but the whole point behind the legislation is to underlinethat cigarettes kill.”
Not everyone on campus thinks it is such a great idea.
Journalism junior Melissa Sweet, a non-smoker, said she would notagree with legislation that takes away people’s freedom to choose.
“All adults — those 18 and older — should have the right tochoose what they want for their bodies,” Sweet said. “The governmentspends millions on anti-smoking ad campaigns to educate adults, andwe all understand that it kills, but some of us just don’t care andit’s our right not to.
“The government should dedicate more effort to educate kids atevery level before they are 18, and maybe that might make a positivedifference.”
Psychology junior Jerry Fikhman, also a non-smoker, gave theproposed legislation a thumbs-down.
“If you are old enough to be sent off to war to die for yourcountry at 18, then you also should be able to have the freedom tobuy a pack of cigarettes,” he said.
Vicky Markman, an information and decision systems sophomore,called the idea “incredibly stupid.”
“Here I was waiting for the legal drinking age to come down, butnow they want to raise the age of cigarettes to 21 also,” she said.”It’s ridiculous. California is the only place in the world where thegovernment interferes with peoples’ personal decisions of whether ornot they smoke.”
The smoking age is 19 in Alabama, Alaska and Utah, but no statehas a 21-year legal age.
