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The Bridgeport City Council passed a policy on Tuesday that raised the age of sale of tobacco products only to customers over the age of 21. The new ordinance comes on the heels of Hartford passing similar legislation late last year.
Other communities in Connecticut are reportedly considering similar policies. The ban extends to the use of e-cigarettes and similar products. The vote passed 16-1.
According to the organization “Tobacco Free Kids,” “increasing the minimum sale age for tobacco products to 21 is a promising strategy to reduce smoking and other tobacco use among youth and save lives. Raising the sale age to 21 complements other strategies to reduce tobacco use, including higher tobacco taxes, strong smoke-free laws that include all workplaces and public places, and well-funded, sustained tobacco prevention and cessation programs.”
A 2015 report by the Institute of Medicine - now called the National Academy of Medicine - found that raising the tobacco age to 21 “will have a substantial positive impact on public health and save lives.”
The study determined that “increasing the tobacco age will significantly reduce the number of adolescents and young adults who start smoking; reduce smoking-caused deaths; and immediately improve the health of adolescents, young adults and young mothers who would be deterred from smoking, as well as their children.”
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