• Posted on August 29, 2013
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  • Health Topics Cancer Care
    Pediatric Care
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Should 21 be the legal age to buy cigarettes? By Sarah Scroggins Email

Legislation introduced in New York City by Mayor Michael Bloomberg may restrict teens from purchasing tobacco products for a few more years. The proposal suggests that the legal age should be raised from 18 to 21.

The Surgeon General reports that nearly 90 percent of smokers have already picked up the habit by 18.

Changing the age to 21 years old can help reduce tobacco use among people between the ages of 18 to 20 by 55 percent and a 67 percent decrease for those 14 to 17 years old, NYC officials estimate.

Dr. Michael Steinberg, director of the Tobacco Dependence Program at Rutgers University said in an article, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, that this law could potentially reduce the amount of teens who may ever try a cigarette.

As noted in the article, tobacco use continues to be the cause of the most preventable death in the U.S. and the goal of comprehensive tobacco control is to reduce its harm to society. The article also states that helping smokers quit is insufficient it is critical to prevent young people from every taking a puff on that first cigarette.

Steinberg believes that 21 year olds are more likely, based on their maturity and life experiences, to make a more informed and sensible choice about a habit that can ultimately affect the rest of their life, more than an 18 year old.

Cigarettes and tobacco contain some of the most addictive chemicals in our society,” Steinberg says. “Smoking a cigarette delivers more nicotine more efficiently to your brain than if you were to inject nicotine intravenously.”

Currently there are four states that have the legal age to buy tobacco products at 19, they include Alaska, Alabama, Utah and New Jersey. In addition, New Jersey is also in talks about raising the age for purchasing tobacco.

Even though Steinberg hopes that this legislation can help prevent people ages 18 to 20 from going down an undesirable path of lifelong tobacco addiction, it can t be accomplished by this one law. He does believe that it is a great start and just right thing to do. The vote is said to take place this fall.

The cost of a pack of cigarettes, state by state

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Sarah Jampel July 12th, 2013

Each year, we check the prices of cigarettes in each state. (2012 2011.) This year’s results are in!

Smokers, flee New York City and head to Kentucky, where a pack of Marlboro Reds will cost you practically a third of what you re paying now. And while you re on the road, steer clear of New Hampshire and Vermont, too the price for a pack has jumped 35% and 25%, respectively, over the past year.

We called a gas station and oftentimes, when we were turned away or simply misunderstood, we called several in the most populous city of every state in the nation and Washington D.C. and asked the clerk for the price of a pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes including tax. (Obviously, local prices will vary some.)

Here s the current price, in bold, and also how the prices of cigarettes have changed since last summer.

48. Kentucky (last year $6.56) $4.96 24%

47. North Dakota ($5.03) $5.04 .2%

46. West Virginia ($4.84) $5.07 5%

45. Oklahoma ($5.24) $5.19 .1%

44. Idaho ($5.11) $5.25 3%

43. Missouri ($5.87) $5.25 10%

42. Louisiana ($6.50) $5.33 18%

41. Oregon ($5.74) $5.35 7%

40. Wyoming ($5.21) $5.37 3%

39. Mississippi ($5.55) $5.45 2%

38. Nevada ($6.04) $5.50 9%

37. South Carolina ($6.25) $5.55 11%

36. Colorado ($5.19) $5.59 8%

35. Indiana ($5.56) $5.77 4%

34. Alabama ($5.18) $5.80 12%

33. Virginia ($5.43) $5.81 7%

32. Ohio ($5.67) $5.88 4%

31. Tennessee ($4.91) $5.89 20%

30. Georgia ($5.93) $5.93 0%

29. Minnesota ($5.96) $5.95 .2%

28. Florida ($6.29), Delaware ($6.10) $6.00 5%, 2%

27. North Carolina ($5.14) $6.03 17%

26. Nebraska ($5.99) $6.09 2%

25. Kansas ($6.47) $6.21 4%

24. Montana ($6.12) $6.25 2%

23. Arkansas ($7.10) $6.50 8%

22. New Hampshire ($4.86) $6.59 35%

21. Utah ($6.88) $6.64 3%

20. California ($6.45), South Dakota ($6.82) $6.77 5%, .7%

19. New Mexico ($6.69) $6.91 3%

18. Michigan ($6.50), Pennsylvania ($6.93) $6.95 7%, .3%

17. Maine ($6.97) $7.12 2%

16. Texas ($6.89) $7.24 5%

15. Iowa ($7.52) $7.25 4%

14. D.C. ($8.27) $7.89 5%

13. Maryland ($6.53) $7.93 21%

12. Wisconsin ($7.98) $8.11 2%

11. Washington ($8.98) $8.31 7%

10. New Jersey ($8.00) $8.55 7%

9. Massachusetts ($8.49) $8.77 3%

8. Connecticut ($8.85) $9.30 5%

7. Vermont ($7.60) $9.52 25%

6. Rhode Island ($8.16) $9.56 17%

5. Alaska ($9.39) $9.59 2%

4. Arizona ($7.46) $9.65 29%

3. Hawaii ($10.22) $9.68 5%

2. Illinois ($10.25) $11.59 13%

1. New York ($12.50) $14.50 16%

Sarah Jampel is an Awl summer reporter.