Will The Minimum Age To Purchase Tobacco And Vape Products Limit Children From Using Them?

Do you think that the new minimum age required to purchase tobacco and vape products will have a positive impact? 

Zach Merchant, a reporter at the 13 WMAZ, reached out to one of the nurses at Macon hospital to inquire about this ‘quit smoking’ program to have her opinion if this will bring any constructive change. 

The 45th president of the United States recently signed a law that will see the minimum age of buying tobacco and vape products from 18 to 21 years old. This rule comes from a steady increase in the number of underage users in the country. 

For example, according to a report by CBS News, at least 5 percent of middle school children were found to be using e-cigarettes in 30 days. Even worse, the same report stated that high schoolers were far much worse at 20 percent. 

According to the CDC, the number of e-cigarette cases was higher – 10.5 percent in middle schools and 27.5 percent in high schools. 

But the question remains the same – will this change make any difference? Will it regulate the number of underage use of these products? 

In search of an answer to this question, WMAZ reached out to Andrew Cabello, the Cloud City and E-cig manager. Andrew Cabello said that he’s been very vigilant, verifying every customer’s ID to make sure they are of the required age. However, Cabello emphasized that there’s little they can do once they have sold the products. 

In a nutshell, Andrew Cabello insists that stopping underage children from consuming these products will take some time because many precautions need to be put in place. 

Sally Waldorf, the Medical Center Navicent boss, was also in support of what Cabello said. Sally said that there are chances that older people will buy the products but later sell them to children, which is a pity. She stressed that even if the sellers will be vigilant, the underage would still find the product. 

Sally called upon parents and different organizations to sensitize the issue and create awareness among the elderly and children. She said that both parties need to understand that these products’ consumption in an early stage is dangerous. 

Dr. Patricia Tran, a pediatrician at Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, was optimistic about the new law. She said that the president’s move to sign the law would help control the number of underage consumers. She emphasized that there’s a need for the government to come up with measures that would stop children from buying these products online or even sending an older person to get them on their behalf. 

Author Bio: Blair Thomas has been a music producer, bouncer, screenwriter, and for over a decade has been the proud Co-Founder of eMerchantBroker, the highest-rated electronic cigarette merchant account in the country. He has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a hurricane, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. He currently calls Thailand his home with a lifetime collection of his favorite books.