Anti-Tobacco Advocates Question McConnell Plan To Raise Minimum Purchasing Age
Citing an "unprecedented spike" in teens vaping, Sen. Mitch McConnell said the bill would raise the minimum age for people to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21. Tobacco companies back the proposal.
Updated at 3:04 p.m. ET
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced he will introduce national legislation to raise the minimum age for people buying tobacco products from 18 to 21. Some anti-tobacco advocates worry that the plan could actually harm children by heading off other regulation efforts.
The proposal from McConnell, who hails from a top tobacco-producing state, came Thursday at a conference with the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, a Louisville-based organization. He in contributions from Altria, a major cigarette manufacturer.
