The change would be made through a state House and Senate bill via the Health Care and Wellness Committee, to match alcohol and marijuana laws, according to a KOMO News article. Other cities with similar bans saw a decline in teen smoking. The tobacco age is 18 in all states except Utah, New Jersey, Alaska and Alabama, where it’s 19.
State Sen. Mark Miloscia (R-Federal Way) said he expects it to be a multi-year fight to get the bill approved, according to KOMO News. The state would lose about $20 million per year in tobacco-tax revenues, Ferguson acknowledged.
It’s generally known that if teens want alcohol, they’ll be able to get it through older siblings or friends. And it’s likely the same thing would happen with tobacco if the bill were passed. Though it will make it more difficult to acquire, it’s unlikely to stop someone who really wants to smoke.
Eighteen-year-olds are adults who can vote and join the military, so they should be able to make the decision about what they put into their bodies. That said, with all of the medical research and evidence out there against smoking, it’s a wonder anyone still takes up the habit as it is.