COLUMBUS – Governor Mike DeWine is putting more pressure on lawmakers to increase the age when Ohioans can buy tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21.
Flanked by state health officials, physicians and a Columbus high school student who is campaigning against the use of e-cigarettes by teens, DeWine on Wednesday repeated the call he made in his 2020-21 budget proposal to the General Assembly.
“E-cigarette marketers are convincing some people that their product is a safer alternative than smoking, and that’s simply not the case. With sleek, fun packaging and flavors like ‘candy crush’ and ‘watermelon wave,’ these products are clearly being marketed to kids,” he said.
.@GovMikeDeWine joined ODH Director Amy Acton, MD, and @OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss, to warn parents that vaping is not safe for their teens and called for an increase in the age to purchase tobacco and e-cigarette/vaping products in Ohio to 21. More at: https://t.co/OtCisihXit pic.twitter.com/4PIWZhK2mJ
— Ohio Dept of Health (@OHdeptofhealth) April 17, 2019
Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton says e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which she says is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development.
“We are seeing an explosive increase in vaping among our youth, and it’s not safe for young people,” Acton said.
She said e-cigarette aerosol also can contain heavy metals such as lead and chemical flavorings linked to serious lung disease and cancer.
The call comes amid an increase in the rate of e-cigarette use among high schoolers, which rose 78 percent from 2017 to 2018, . This means that more than 3 million U.S. high school students have used e-cigarettes in the past month.
A trade organization representing the vaping industry claims the e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
The proposal to raise the tobacco-buying age in Ohio has the support of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and the Ohio chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, DeWine said.
Joining DeWine and Acton at Wednesday’ news conference were Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Lori Criss and high school student Maddy Mayer, an anti-vaping activist.
Saying that four out of five adult smokers become regular, daily users of tobacco before they turn 21, state officials say the 18-to-21 age range is a time when many people who have tried smoked become regular smokers and it is important to reduce the number of young people who have access to tobacco or vaping products during this period.
“Increasing the minimum age to purchase cigarettes and e-cigarettes will increase the age that people have their first cigarette and reduce the likelihood they will become long-term smokers,” Criss said.
The Ohio House is conducting hearings on the budget and the Senate will take it up Monday.
Under Ohio law, the legislature must pass a balanced budget and have it signed by the Governor prior to July 1.