Florida House to make vaping and tobacco use age 21

Excellent improvement!

Today the Florida House of Representatives members overwhelmingly approved HB 7119 which raises the tobacco use age to 21 years of age. This includes products like vaping and others. I am so appreciative of this proposed law and I urge the Senate to follow suit. I always want to thank our Rep. Ralph Massullo for his support of this bill both in committee and on the House floor vote.

The House Staff analysis shared that a 2015 study sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded that raising the age for tobacco use from 18 to 21 nationally would result in 223,000 fewer early deaths, 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer and 4.2 million fewer years of life lost. Florida recent statistics show nearly 25 percent of high schoolers currently vape, in some areas even higher. WTXL in Tallahassee reports; “Laura Corbin with Tobacco Free Florida, the state-funded anti-smoking campaign, says e-cigarettes are especially appealing to young people. ‘Youth are especially attracted to the flavors that these products come in. We also know that these products typically contain nicotine. In fact, one Juul pod contains as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes,’ said Corbin.”

While I never like the idea of limiting personal liberties, we have a real crisis taking place. Citrus School Students sadly have also seen an increase in tobacco, nicotine and vaping products in recent years and this law is much welcomed.

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