Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada: Tobacco 21 - More evidence on the benefits of a hi...

Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada: Tobacco 21 - More evidence on the benefits of a hi...

Click the link above for the full blog article by the Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada.

The following is only an excerpt: 

Tobacco 21 laws help protect young people from nicotine addiction

Almost all people who use tobacco products start doing so as teenagers or as young adults. (A recent study by Statistics Canada found "for both men and women, the age at which they started smoking remained virtually unchanged over the past 80 years", with the "the peak age of initiation was 15 to 17 for women and 16 for men".

Measures which help protect youth and young adults from experimenting with and becoming addicted to tobacco will have long-term benefits for those individuals and for the community. 

Laws which set the minimum legal age for the sale of cigarettes at 21 help protect young people by raising barriers to their accessing tobacco:

• They establish a new social and legal norm
• They reduce the ability of younger teenagers to buy from their peer-group, creating a longer age buffer between those who are legally able to purchase and high-school students. 
• They support policy change by post-secondary education institutions and employers. 

Even those for whom Tobacco 21 laws will only defer the age of initiation can benefit:

• Those who start smoking at a younger age are more likely to find it difficult to quit.
• Nicotine use is harmful to the developing brains of young people.

Why are teens smoking and vaping?

Everyone agrees how important it is that youths should not be smoking or vaping. 

Even tobacco companies have said so publicly for decades, although internal tobacco company documents clearly show that they:

- targeted teenagers with flavors,[1] 

- referred to 14-to-18-year-olds as “young adult smokers,” studied teen smoking patterns (differentiating between “presmokers”, “learners” and “confirmed smokers”), admitted that “the base of our business is the high school student,”[2] 

- recognized that “the renewal of the market stems almost entirely from 18-year-old smokers”[3] and that “today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular customer,”[4] and 

- concluded that “the ability to attract new smokers and develop them into a young adult franchise is key to brand development.”[5] 

In order to survive and prosper over the long term, tobacco companies have seen the need to capture the youth market, developing new products and brands that appeal to youths, because “younger adult smokers are the only source of replacement smokers... If younger adults turn away from smoking, the industry must decline, just as a population which does not give birth will eventually dwindle."[6] 

References:

(1) Marketing Innovations. (1972). Youth cigarette - New concepts [memo to Brown & Williamson]. Bates No. 170042014 

(2) Achey TL. (1978). Memo from Lorillard sales manager Achey to CEO Curtis Judge about the "fantastic success" of Newport, August 30, 1978. Bates No. TINY0003062 

(3) R.J. Reynolds. (1984). Young adult smokers: Strategies and opportunities [report]. Bates No. 501928462-8550 

(4) Johnston ME. (1981). Young smokers prevalence, trends, implications, and related demographic trends [Philip Morris market research report, 31 March 1981]. Bates No. 1000390803 

(5) Philip Morris International. (1999). Worldwide Marlboro monitor: Five year trends, 1988-1992. Bates No. 2044895379- 484 

(6) R.J. Reynolds. (1984). Young adult smokers: Strategies and opportunities [report]. Bates No. 501928462-8550