The Texas House Public Health Committee on Thursday approved and sent to the full House with a recommendation that it pass a bill that would raise the minimum age of tobacco sale from 18 to 21, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The group pushing for the bill, called the Texas 21 Coalition, says more than 13,000 Texas teenagers become hooked on tobacco every year. An estimated 95% of all smokers start before the age of 21.
The Coalition says most people start smoking between the ages of 16 and 18, and they are able to obtain tobacco products largely through a high school friend who is over the age of 18 who is able to buy them legally for the teenager.
The Coalition says a 16 year old high schooler is far less likely to have a friend who is over 21 who can buy them smokes.
“This is a critical time to protect our youth and young adults from the dangers of tobacco use and nicotine addiction," said JoAnna Strother of the American Lung Association of the Southwest. "The urge to experiment is natural, but that doesn’t mean youth and young adults are seeking to get hooked on tobacco their entire lives. By raising the tobacco sale of age to 21, Texas will take an important step in keeping youth healthy."