Point/Counterpoint: Age to buy tobacco products

Keep the age at 18

Lucas Skye

The Illinois State Senate’s proposal to raise the purchasing age for tobacco products to 21 is a prime example of our government overstepping its boundaries. It is a no-brainer consuming any tobacco product is inadvisable for those who value their health as tobacco consumption can cause disease and disability in nearly every organ in the human body, according to data published April 8 by The Centers of Disease Control. Despite the negative effects tobacco usage, it still remains a personal lifestyle choice that should be up to the individual, not the senators at Springfield.

Even if a possible consumer is unaware of the dangers of tobacco consumption, all they need to do is look at a pack of cigarettes. There have been government mandated health warnings on all cigarette packaging for decades as a result of The Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965. If the adult can read, they are smart enough to know consumption of tobacco products can cause cancer, and can decide for themselves if tobacco is something they’re still interested in.

“Once you turn 18, you can make you own decisions,” said Jonah Walker, owner of the Aurora Uncle Stu’s Smoke and Vape shop, located at 2150 W Galena Blvd, Aurora, IL 60506.

“It shouldn’t be up to the government to make our choices for us, other than obeying laws that are established, especially when you can join the military.”

Proponents of such legislation often state the bill isn’t a hindrance of an adults’ right to choose since the bill doesn’t outright ban adults under 21 from consuming tobacco products, it merely makes it illegal to sell to them. But passing such a bill will make takes away younger adults ability to make their own lifestyle choices. Disagreeing with such a bill doesn’t make someone an advocate for tobacco usage; it makes one an advocate for personal liberty.

Raise the buying age

Peter Zemeske

Raising the age to purchase tobacco to 21 should have been done years ago. The statistics regarding tobacco-related illness and fatalities are hard to ignore. Tobacco usage is harmful regardless of age, though it is especialy detrimental to younger users as the human brain isn’t fully developed until around the age of 25, according to the University of Rochester’s Medical Center encyclopedia.

The main argument for the law is to discourage people turning 18 from using tobacco. A whopping 95 percent of smokers started smoking before the age of 21, according to the Respiratory Health Association. Those arguing against the law say the dangers of smoking are common knowledge and people over 18 can make decisions for themselves. Included in the opposing side is Illinois Senator Kyle McCarter.McCarter explained “as much as we want to care for people, show them that we care, we as a government just cannot change everything. This is one of those times we need to step back and say “let people make their choices.”

As compelling as the argument for free choice is, the fact is that tobacco use is a serious health risk for any user, especially users under 21. Tobacco-related deaths make up more than 480,000 deaths a year in the United States alone, according to 2017 data published by the Centers for Disease Control. That’s equivalent to nearly one in five deaths each year. The CDC also states each day in the United States, 2,100 youth and young adults become daily cigarette smokers. The proposed law isn’t banning tobacco outright, it is simply raising the age required to purchase it. If an 18 year old really wants to get their hands on tobacco, it will be harder for them to get but it will be legal for them to consume tobacco.

This is the entire goal for raising the legal age to buy tobacco: to make it harder for younger audiences to get access to tobacco and tobacco-related products