Cady Stribling
Staff writer
cstribling1@murraystate.edu
Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell announced a proposal for legislation to change the purchasing age of tobacco.
McConnell hopes to introduce national legislation to change the age for tobacco and vape use from 18 to 21. McConnell announced his plans for his proposal during a press conference in Louisville, Kentucky on April 18.
In 2017, 14.1 percent of high school students used e-cigarettes and 10.6 percent used smokeless tobacco in Kentucky, according to Truth Initiative.
“We have an epidemic of nicotine consumption either through cigarettes or through vaping in high schools and even middle schools, not only in our state but around the country,” McConnell said.
McConnell said he not only wants to raise the age to deter young smokers, but also because he believes hemp could replace tobacco as a cash crop. He also said tobacco has remained a cash crop nationwide because of the loyalty farmers have to the crop, but hemp could provide a beneficial alternative.
“Kentucky agriculture is moving in a much different way with industrial hemp, which we hope to lead the nation in,” McConnell said.
While McConnell supports the growing industry of hemp, he hasn’t spoken in support of the legalization of marijuana.
“In the previous Farm Bill five years ago, I inserted a provision that allowed pilot projects – because remember hemp was considered a controlled substance under federal law going back to right after World War II so it was treated like this more controversial cousin that we’ve all heard of,” McConnell said. “Some states are actually legalizing [marijuana], but that’s not what we’re involved in. We’re talking about industrial hemp.”
Senator Mitch McConnell is proposing that the age for tobacco use be raised from 18 to 21 years old. This is a national proposition. Let us know what you think!
— The Murray State News (@MurrayStateNews) April 23, 2019
Virginia Sisemore, sophomore from Madisonville, Kentucky, does not see the benefits of raising the age for tobacco and vape products.
“Vaping has been shown to help people stop smoking, and I am one of those people,” Sisemore said. “I don’t understand why vaping is included in that category.”
Sisemore also said she wouldn’t be upset if the age was raised, but she does believe that adults would be losing their rights to purchase tobacco products.
States including Indiana have attempted to propose the same legislation to raise tobacco age, but have failed. However, Arkansas, Illinois, Maine, Utah and Virginia have been successful in raising the legal age for tobacco use. Chicago, Illinois and Washington D.C. also raised the age to 21.
Branden Kelley from Marshall County, Kentucky, said he opposes McConnell’s decisions because he thinks there is already too much government regulation.
“If you can join the military and vote at 18, you should be able to choose what you do to your body,” Kelley said.
Despite some of the disapproval, McConnell said he believes that he can successfully pass the proposal.
“As you well know, I’m in a particularly good position to enact legislation,” McConnell said. “And this is going to be a top priority that I’ll be working on now.”