By Joe Ragusa
SPRINGFIELD – The American Lung Association is throwing its support behind legislation that would raise the age to buy cigarettes in Illinois from 18 to 21.
American Lung Association vice president Kathy Drea said the goal of the bill is to lower smoking rates.
“About 95 percent of all smokers start smoking before the age of 21 so if we can keep them smoke-free until they’re 21, they probably won’t take it up later,” Drea said.
Drea said Illinois spends $2 billion a year treating people with tobacco-related issues through Medicaid.
Anthony Fisher with the libertarian Reason Foundation said if 18-year-olds can vote, be charged for adult crimes and join the military, they should be able to make the choice whether to purchase tobacco.
“We’d actually be a freer and a more tolerant society if we allowed people to make those choices and not turn everything into a potential crime under civil and criminal codes,” Fisher said.
The proposed bill, sponsored by State Sen. John Mulroe (D-Chicago), would cover the purchase of all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes.
The legislation is It was filed Thursday and it was referred to the assignments committee.
Joe Ragusa can be reached at joe.ragusa@cumulus.com.
