According to the American Heart Association, smoking is responsible for killing more than 480,000 Americans annually — including 11,800 New Jerseyans — making it the No. 1 cause of death.
It is no secret smoking results in heart disease, stroke, cancers and many other devastating health issues. Yet smoking remains a crisis in the Garden State — especially when it comes to our youth.
In fact, 95 percent of smokers start the habit before the age of 21. Each year, 24,500 New Jersey youths try cigarettes for the first time while 5,400 children become new regular daily smokers.
As a pediatrician, I support every effort to deter tobacco getting in the hands of our kids. I am advocating for the passage of the Tobacco 21 bill (A-3254), which would reduce youth tobacco use in New Jersey by raising the minimum legal sales age of tobacco products to 21.
This bill, which is modeled after a similar effort in Massachusetts which saw a 50 percent decrease in youth smoking, would help protect our adolescents from making a decision which would negatively affect their health for years to come.
We know this plan works. It has seen success in Needham, Mass., Hawaii and several other locations including New York City. We saw success when a similar approach was taken to address underage drinking. We raised the minimum purchasing age to 21 and saw drops in highway alcohol-related deaths and high school drinking. Although teen drinking was not eliminated, the problem substantially improved. It is our hope we can gain similar success with Tobacco 21.
It is time for New Jersey to act. With little/ no cost to taxpayers and the improved welfare of our children, saying yes to Tobacco 21 is the right choice to make.
Charles Garbarino, MD
American Heart Association and
American Stroke Association volunteer
Livingston