Massachusetts Votes For Tobacco Purchase Age Of 21, 33-3

A sweeping success for those in Massachusetts with growing concerns for users of tobacco products. The legal age to purchase tobacco products is now 21. Massachusetts joins the five other states who have implemented Tobacco 21 legislation. The purchase of tobacco products does in fact include any and all vaping products, from tanks and batteries to mods and pods. In addition to raising the purchase age, Massachusetts has also banned vaping in any area where smoking is also prohibited.

So why is vaping on the same playing field as tobacco cigarettes?

Cigarettes are know to have harmful side effects compared to vaping, which has been reported to be a much healthier alternative. So why are the two so often considered to be the same thing? The answer is a loosely constructed assumption by the FDA stating, their authority to control the use and sale of e-cigarette products is based on the belief that every piece to the vaping puzzle could be "reasonably expected" to be used to consume tobacco. This goes for all tanks, all mods, even all the batteries that power them. This includes vape juice as well, even though there is no way to use tobacco and vape juice together.

Vape juice doesn't contain tobacco, so why is it considered  tobacco product?

Being as nicotine is extracted from tobacco plants, this makes vape juice, even tobacco free nicotine juices, technically "a tobacco product". Despite the fact that nicotine is a naturally occurring chemical that you can find in a variety of fruits and vegetables, it is addictive. Addiction is a health concern to the people of Massachusetts, "..Nicotine addiction remains the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in Massachusetts, and tobacco use and nicotine addiction is responsible for more than $4 billion annually in health care costs in Massachusetts," says Sen. Jason Lewis.

But the prevention of underage use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes is a positive thing.

Very true, and no one can deny that. Anything inherently habit forming should be avoided until of adult age or entirely. The law is meant to be a strategy to keep tobacco and nicotine products away from schools and teenagers. A responsible move, as no one underage should ever use such products. But the conversation comparing vaping to traditional cigarette smoking remains immovable and unproductive until there is further evidence reinforcing the noticeable more positive effects of switching from tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes. In The UK smoking rates steadily drop annually, and Public Heath England credits that trend strongly to vaping. The benefit and integrity of vaping as a harm reduction strategy should get its recognition, and no longer be grouped with habits proven to be more harmful.