Increasing the Minimum Legal Sale Age for Tobacco Products to 21 years

Increasing the Minimum Legal Sale Age for Tobacco Products to 21 years

Introduction

There is an urgent need to create awareness among concerned authorities about growing health issues due to tobacco consumption among teenagers. Most users of tobacco begin before turning 18 years, and almost the majority start before 26. In 2014, according to the estimation of Surgeon General that if the trend of tobacco usage remained the same, 5.6 million U.S. youth would die impulsively because of smoking. The legal age of tobacco buyers should be increased to 21 years old. The tobacco companies intentionally target young adults and kids to sell their products as they believe that it will give them a long term business. If the government does not make the legal age of tobacco buyers 21 and above, they will end up ruining their youth, and the results will be devastating for the future of the whole nation.  The paper will give a critique of the growing trend of tobacco consumption among teenagers and the lasting effects on their health.

Analysis

Audience

The target audience is tobacco companies, concerned government departments that can create and approve policies, parents, academic institutes, young adults, and rehabilitation centers. All of these target segments are necessary to be addressed, and they will get be able to share their opinions in the discussion.  The audience will show interest, and they have knowledge as well, but each segment has a different level of attention and expertise. Some would be in favor of this discussion, while others will be against this. For example, tobacco companies will find it offensive as it’s against their interest. The audience will encourage this because it is to save the youth and raise a healthy generation.

Analysis of the issue

Tobacco use among youth has, for quite some time, been a worry in light of the damages intrinsically connected with tobacco use. Proof proposes that nicotine use during immaturity and youthful adulthood has respiratory and non-respiratory complications as short term effects (tobaccofreekids.org, 2020). Long haul may include impacts on mental health and an elevated possibility of using alcohol and marijuana in the future. Continued use of tobacco for persons below 21 years reduces their life span because the existing research has proven that they live seven years less compared to those who do not smoke (Bach, 2019). Again, they stand a high chance of having lung failure, in addition to experiencing a heart attack and stroke (truthinitiative.org, 2017). Notably, the research has confirmed that out of 3200 teenagers who engage in smoking, 2,100 end up becoming day by day smokers.

Tobacco 21 is a significant part of a broad general health approach to deal with diminishing tobacco use. While Tobacco 21 is a meaningful program, on the grounds that the adolescent vaping pandemic is at a record-breaking high, there is substantially more work to be done to spare lives (truthinitiative.org, 2017). The actualization of the approach should not be directed to drug regulatory authorities only, but also the parents, schools, churches, and the correctional department. Raising the time of offer for tobacco to 21 can possibly help end tobacco use for the last time. If managed appropriately, the approach will contribute hugely to reducing the tobacco use related deaths (Bach, 2019). Besides, the heath level of the adolescents will be moved to the next level, and it will be of much significance to not only the parents but also the public at large.

Tobacco companies target kids and young adults when marketing with the intention of retaining the replacement of smokers and keep their profits higher. Tobacco companies are aware of the fact that people who become addicted to smoking before the age of 21 will retain their customers for an extended period of time (tobaccofreekids.org,  2020). The previous research has confirmed that tobacco-related companies design their ads in a manner that it can attract the attention of the adolescent due to its appealing nature. According to Bach (2019), tobacco ads expose the youths to significant risks in addition to developing a desire in them for smoking. As a consequence, advertising regulators should ensure that the content provided in tobacco ads, cannot instigate the youths to engage in smoking (truthinitiative.org, 2017). Again, the concerned government agencies should take a step ahead by withdrawing licenses of companies selling tobacco to adolescents.

Conclusion

Based on the above illustration, it is evident that expanding the period of offer for tobacco to 21 can help decrease youth tobacco use, particularly when joined with these different strategies. It is the high time for concerned authorities to put in place a lasting solution, including expanding the base period of an offer to 21. Drug control agencies should take action against the tobacco sellers selling to teenagers and convince the government to pass legislation against the menace. Tobacco 21 approach will reduce instances of the adolescent becoming addicts at a tender age. Additionally, it is through the program that the youths will not engage in the use of other drugs, including cocaine and marijuana.

References

Bach, L. (2019, 12, 31). INCREASING THE MINIMUM LEGAL SALE AGE FOR TOBACCO

PRODUCTS TO 21. Retrieved from https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0376.pdf

tobaccofreekids.org. (2020, 01 09). RAISING THE TOBACCO AGE TO 21.

truthinitiative.org. (2017, 10 23). Where we stand: Raising the tobacco age to 21. Retrieved from

https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/tobacco-prevention-efforts/where-we-stand-raising-tobacco-age-21