Well I've got a bit of an idea how to make tobacco history. In theory it's rather simple, in practice, well who knows? The plan goes like this: Increase the age to legally purchase tobacco products by one year, every year. So, if this year the legal age to purchase tobacco is 21, then next year it would be 22, the next year 23 ... and so on ...

This way those who can legally buy tobacco today will always have that option. Those who are under age today would never reach that threshold. This way there is no instant cut off of tobacco for those who need/want it. Various revenue related issues would have the time needed to adjust systems/businesses.

There's one thing that tobacco users, non-users and the tobacco companies all agree on: Young people should not start using tobacco products. Only tobacco companies see the wisdom in giving today's under age generations the option of starting tobacco habits as adults. Why should we allow the tobacco companies to prey upon our children with billions of dollars of advertising/marketing enticements the day they become of legal age to purchase tobacco?? Over several decades tobacco and all it's ills could approach being fodder for the history books

Dave Tolle

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