A new study from Cornell University has said that raising the age limit for vaping is actually leading to an increase in teen smoking.
In research published in the journal Preventive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine investigators report that between 2007 and 2013, after the country introduced new age restrictions for e-cigarettes, e-cigarette use led to an 11.7% increase in teen tobacco use.
Believing that raising the vaping age will help curb youth smoking, lawmakers across the US have proposed bills that would raise the age for vaping to match smoking to a new high of 21 in some states. Politicians and public health advocates say e-cigarettes can expose children to nicotine and lead to them switching to cigarettes, so they need to be more tightly regulated.
A ballot measure to raise cigarette taxes in North Dakota (USA) has been announced, resulting in a 400% increase in taxes on cigarettes. The new tax is set to go from $0.44 to $2.20 per pack in North Dakota. Lawmakers are justifying the tax increase, arguing that if cigarettes are more expensive, fewer people will smoke.
Some of the proceeds from the cigarette tax will go to a new veterans trust fund. While tax increases are great, they are more widespread than just raising taxes on cigarettes. They are also tough on vaping.
