WHY RAISING THE TOBACCO PURCHASING AGE TO 21 IS CRITICAL TO FIGHTING YOUTH VAPING

States and localities throughout the United States are increasingly enacting measures to raise the minimum-purchasing age for tobacco and vapor products to 21, and the positive impacts are undeniable. Today, The News Journal published an editorial from Courtney Snowden, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at JUUL Labs, commending Delaware for recently passing a law to raise the minimum-purchasing age for all tobacco products, including vapor, from 18 to 21, and highlighting why this policy is vital to any efforts aimed at curbing youth use of vapor products, including JUUL.

Key points from Courtney:

We believe Delaware took one of the most important steps in raising the legal purchase age for all tobacco products, including vapor products, from 18 to 21. This is crucial because it helps prevent high-school seniors and recent grads from purchasing tobacco products and sharing them with underage peers. This is currently how many youth users get access to these products. It’s why we endorsed ‘Tobacco 21’ back in 2018, and why we hope more states follow Delaware’s example.

JUUL Labs has taken the lead on this issue in our industry. We were on the ground at Legislative Hall in Dover actively supporting the Tobacco 21 legislation recently signed into law by Governor John Carney. We actively supported Tobacco 21 legislation in 15 new states so far this year, and we urge lawmakers in states without these age protections to follow suit.

Whether there’s a debate on Tobacco 21 at the federal, state, or local levels, we will be there offering our full support. We have already invested significant resources in educating policymakers, testifying before state legislatures, issuing statements of support and running ads in states pursuing this critical policy.

Read the full piece here.

JUUL Labs has pledged support to Tobacco 21 policies and our teams are actively working with lawmakers and health officials wherever legislation is being considered. As Courtney notes, Tobacco 21 laws are critical, as they directly address the largest access point youth have to tobacco and vapor products — peers of legal age. By using Tobacco 21 laws to undermine social sourcing through peers, we can ensure youths are never introduced to these products in the first place.