Dear Editor:
Corporate tobacco companies continue to aggressively market their products to young people. As a queer woman, this is a particularly important issue to me because LGBTQ-identified people in Minnesota are 2.5 times more likely to smoke than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts.
I am encouraged by the growing number of communities nationwide that have raised the legal age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. Two states, Hawaii and California, and 200 communities have already done so—and the pace of those taking steps continues to pick up.
Raising the age to 21 is an approach that makes sense, especially because 95% of current smokers started smoking by 21. If we can keep young people from starting to smoke before they turn 21, they will likely never start. Additionally, many younger kids get tobacco products from older teens in their social circles who can legally purchase them. If you raise the legal age to 21, you remove legal purchasers of tobacco from the high school setting.
The public also supports this approach. A 2014 survey from the CDC shows 75% of adults, including 7 out of 10 smokers, support raising the age to 21.
Generations of people have faced a lifetime of addiction and disease due to tobacco, disproportionally the LGBTQ community. This is a human tragedy that requires action. It’s time to think about new approaches to preventing youth tobacco use. Minnesota is often recognized as a leader in public health, but not one of the forward-thinking communities that have raised the age to 21 is here in Minnesota.
I urge local and state leaders to take action and raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21.
Sincerely,
Laura Henry
Powderhorn Community
