Today, the House took a major step to protect Massachusetts youth from the health risks of tobacco and nicotine addiction. I am proud to support this legislation, which prohibits the sale of tobacco and vapor products to anyone under the age of 21.
Massachusetts has a history promoting public health and tobacco prevention. In 1998, Massachusetts was the first state to legislatively divest the state pension fund from tobacco investments. That same year, the Massachusetts Attorney General required warning labels on cigar packaging. In 2004, we passed the comprehensive smoke-free workplace law.
The effort to raise the age for tobacco purchase started here in Needham in 2005, which became the first community in the United States to increase the age from 18 to 21. Those efforts proved successful: a report found that the rate of smoking among high school students in Needham decreased by nearly 50% from 2006 to 2010.
That model has since spread throughout Massachusetts. Now, nearly 70% of the Commonwealth’s population lives in the 171 communities where 21 is the minimum age to purchase tobacco products. Today’s legislation increases the sales age for tobacco products to 21 in every community in Massachusetts, thereby preventing young people from starting to smoke.
Overall, our efforts to curb tobacco use have proven successful. In 2015, 15.9% of Massachusetts high school youth reported currently using any tobacco products compared to 23.9% in 2009, according to the Department of Public Health.
However, the use of vapor products, like e-cigarettes, vape pens, and Juuls pose a new public health threat, particularly among youth. High school youth reported using these devices nearly 9 times more than adults (23.7% versus 2.6%), sometimes even in classrooms.
While vapor products don’t contain many of the cancer-causing by-products contained in cigarettes, they still pose a serious health risk. A review published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine determined that most e-cigarette products contain and emit a variety of potentially toxic substances, such as aldehydes and metals. Further, the nicotine contained in these products has long-term health consequences, including an increased risk for heart attack.
We understand that vapor products may be helpful for adults looking to quit smoking. The House’s legislation aims to prevent youth from nicotine addiction in the first place by increasing the minimum legal age for the purchase and sale of vapor products to 21. Our bill amends smoking laws to ban e-cigarettes and vaping devices in areas where tobacco products are already banned. It prohibits the use of vapor products in schools, at school events, or on school buses, and requires child-resistant packaging for nicotine substances.
When I grew up, high schoolers were all too frequently the targets of cigarette advertising. In my neighborhood, many fell victim to the lies peddled by big tobacco: “it’ll cure your asthma” and “it helped me lose weight.” Today’s legislation is a step toward protecting the public health of our youth in the face of a new nicotine industry, and builds on our commitment of a healthy Commonwealth.
