More than Half of U.S. Population Now Governed by State Laws Raising Minimum Age of Purchase for All Tobacco Products to 21
July 18 2019 - 10:50AM
Business Wire
-- Altria calls for 21 to be the nationwide
standard --
With legislation signed this week in both New York and Ohio,
today more than 50 percent of the U.S. population lives in states
that have raised the legal age of purchase for all tobacco products
to 21.
In response, Howard Willard, chairman and chief executive
officer of Altria Group, Inc. said:
“Now is the time to move to 21, which is by far the best way to
stop the rise in underage e-vapor use and is supported by an
overwhelming majority of Americans. Taking this step will reduce
underage access to these products. It will also pave the way for
e-vapor products to realize their enormous harm reduction potential
for millions of adult smokers 21 and older.”
Background
According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, in 2018, 20.8
percent of high school students reported past 30-day e-cigarette
use. Further, 4.9 percent of middle schoolers reported past 30-day
e-cigarette use in 2018.
Data show that youth under 18 get tobacco products – including
e‐vapor – primarily through social access, that is, from friends,
siblings, and others who get the products for them. Approximately
80 percent of high school students in the U.S. turn 18 before they
graduate. By raising the minimum age to 21, almost no high school
student should be able to purchase tobacco products legally.
According to FDA data, more than 20 million adult smokers in the
U.S. want access to alternative products that may offer less risk
than cigarettes. New technologies like e-vapor offer tremendous
promise in this area. But the FDA has made clear that the future
viability of these products is at risk unless more is done to
reverse the underage e-vapor use trend. Raising the legal age to 21
is an important step toward addressing this issue.
History shows that it takes time for programs and policies to
have a measurable effect, as demonstrated by underage cigarette use
rates in the 1990s. Concerted efforts by political leaders, health
officials, educators, manufacturers, retailers and others took five
years to drive down underage use of cigarettes. Today, underage use
of cigarettes is at historical lows.
Broad Support for Moving to 21
Raising the federal minimum age to purchase tobacco products
from 18 to 21 is broadly popular among the American electorate,
according to public opinion research commissioned by Altria Client
Services in December 2018. This research shows:
- Nearly three-quarters (74%) of voters support the increase,
with 48% strongly in support.
- A strong majority of self-identified Democrats (81%),
Republicans (68%), and Independents (71%) support raising the
minimum purchase age to 21.
- Support is consistently high throughout the country.
- A majority of both current cigarette consumers (58%) and
e-vapor consumers (56%) support raising the legal age of purchase
for tobacco products to 21 years old.
Progress to Date
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted
legislation raising the legal age of purchase to 21; 12 of those
states passed legislation this year. Four additional states are
considering legislation to move to 21. Several bipartisan bills are
pending in Congress, which Altria also supports.
States
Year Enacted
CT, TX, NY, VT, MD, DE, UT, WA,
AR, IL, VA, OH
2019
MA
2018
ME, NJ, OR
2017
CA, District of Columbia
2016
HI
2015
Altria Profile
Altria’s wholly-owned subsidiaries include Philip Morris USA
Inc. (PM USA), U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC (USSTC), John
Middleton Co. (Middleton), Sherman Group Holdings, LLC and its
subsidiaries (Nat Sherman), Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Ltd. (Ste.
Michelle) and Philip Morris Capital Corporation (PMCC). Altria
holds an equity investment in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB
InBev), JUUL Labs, Inc. (JUUL) and Cronos Group Inc. (Cronos).
The brand portfolios of Altria’s tobacco operating companies
include Marlboro®, Black & Mild®, Copenhagen® and Skoal®. Ste.
Michelle produces and markets premium wines sold under various
labels, including Chateau Ste. Michelle®, Columbia Crest®, 14
Hands® and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars™, and it imports and markets
Antinori®, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte™ and Villa Maria Estate™
products in the United States. Trademarks and service marks related
to Altria referenced in this release are the property of Altria or
its subsidiaries or are used with permission.
More information about Altria is available at altria.com and on
the Altria Investor app, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and
LinkedIn.
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