Texas Lawmakers Weigh Raising Minimum Age for Tobacco Use to 21
Style Magazine Newswire | 3/21/2019, 1:09 p.m.
A proposed law would make it harder for Texas teens to buy tobacco. Senate Bill 21 would raise the minimum age for tobacco use from 18 to 21. The debate surrounding the bill raises questions of whether public health trumps personal freedom. Expert witnesses testified before the Senate State Affairs Committee that teenage brains are still developing, and therefore much more likely to become addicted when exposed to nicotine. But those opposing the legislation condemned it as overprotective and unenforceable. Crystal Mane said it makes no sense to treat 18-year-olds as children when it comes to tobacco and treat them as adults in other matters. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has identified SB 21 as one of his top priorities for the session.
