By Edaein OConnell
05th Feb 2019
05th Feb 2019
A lawmaker in Hawaii has introduced a bill that would ban anyone under the age of 100 from buying cigarettes.
Introduced by local Democratic Richard Creagan, the law would see a ban on cigarettes by the year 2024. Hawaii already has strict laws in place, with the legal age for buying cigarettes currently at 21.
However, Creagan (who is also a doctor) believes that more needs to be done to restrict “the deadliest artefact in human history”.
Related: ‘After 35 years, I have finally quit smoking for good’
He told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald: “Basically, we essentially have a group who are heavily addicted – in my view, enslaved by a ridiculously bad industry – which has enslaved them by designing a cigarette that is highly addictive, knowing that it is highly lethal. And, it is.”
If approved, Hawaii will be the first state to ban cigarette sales.
Should this come to NC? https://t.co/IG9lKU7gZo— Julie Luck | WFMY ??? (@julie_luck) February 4, 2019
The proposal will see the legal age for buying cigarettes rise to 30 by next year; 40 by 2021; 50 by 2022, and 60 by the year 2023.
Creagan also told the newspaper that the state has on obligation to protect the public’s health, adding, “We don’t allow people free access to opioids, for instance, or any prescription drugs. This is more lethal, more dangerous than any prescription drug, and it is more addicting.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes are the cause of nearly half a million deaths every year.
If you need any advice on how to quit smoking visit www.quit.ie for more information.
Photo: Unsplash
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