McConnell Vows To Make Legislation Raising Tobacco Age ‘One Of My Highest Priorities’

The Associated Press: Senate GOP Leader Would Raise Age For Buying Tobacco To 21
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose home state of Kentucky was long one of the nation's leading tobacco producers, introduced bipartisan legislation Monday to raise the minimum age for buying any tobacco products from 18 to 21. The chamber's top Republican, who said he was making enactment of the bill "one of my highest priorities," issued his proposal at a time when the use of e-cigarettes is growing and underage vaping has soared, raising concerns by health expert s. The measure would apply to all tobacco products, e-cigarettes and vapor products and was co-sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., whose state has also been a major tobacco producer. (Fram, 5/20)

CQ: McConnell Releases Bill To Boost Age To Buy Tobacco Products
“I recognize that I might seem like an unusual candidate to lead this charge,” he said. But he argued that Kentucky farmers had the same interest as anyone else in making sure their children don’t become addicted to nicotine. “Youth vaping is a public health crisis,” he said. The logic behind increasing the smoking age to 21 is that high school students are likely to know someone who is 18 who can legally purchase tobacco, but they are less likely to have friends who are 21. (Siddons, 5/20)

Bloomberg: Mitch McConnell Proposes Raising US Tobacco Purchase Age To 21 
McConnell’s legislation would cover all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. It would require retailers, like under the current system, to verify that a tobacco purchaser is old enough to buy the product. While most states set 18 as the minimum age of purchase, 14 states and a number of cities, including New York City, have enacted laws raising the age to 21, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (Litvan, 5/20)

The Wall Street Journal: McConnell Pushes To Raise Age For Tobacco Purchases
The bill’s prospects in the House are unclear. House Democratic aides said they are still reviewing it, though they pointed to more expansive legislation introduced in the House that would also restrict flavored e-cigarettes and regulate marketing to young people, among other measures, in addition to raising the age for purchasing tobacco. Legislation that takes similar measures—but doesn’t raise the purchasing age—has received bipartisan support in the Senate. Many e-cigarette companies, including market leader Juul Labs Inc., sell cartridges of nicotine liquids with flavors such as mango and cucumber. The FDA last year announced plans to restrict the sale of flavored nicotine products in an effort to curb use among young people. (Duehren, 5/20)

Politico: McConnell And Kaine Unveil Bill To Raise Tobacco Age To 21
Several leading public health groups, including the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics came out in cautious support, applauding the McConnell measure but urging lawmakers not to add carve-outs or special provisions for the industry. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids said it was still evaluating the proposal. Most of the anti-tobacco groups favor raising the age, but want other steps to curb tobacco use, particularly among youth. (Owermohle, 5/20)

The Hill: McConnell, Kaine Introduce Bill To Raise Tobacco Purchasing Age From 18 To 21 
The FDA in March issued a proposal requiring that stores only sell flavored e-cigarettes in areas that are off limits to anyone under 18, but public health groups want to see more. Legislation sponsored by Reps. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) and Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), would do just that, and is supported by public health groups but opposed by tobacco companies. (Hellmann, 5/20)