Jackson Purchase News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered remarks on the Senate floor today, highlighting the progress made against youth nicotine addiction following the enactment of the Tobacco-Free Youth Act.

“According to an annual survey conducted by the CDC and the FDA, the number of young people in America smoking e-cigarettes dropped to its lowest level in the last decade,” McConnell stated. “Let me say that again: e-cigarette use among America’s youth is now roughly one-third of the all-time high it hit just five years ago.”

McConnell attributed this decline to various factors but emphasized a significant legislative effort originating from the Senate. In 2019, at the peak of youth e-cigarette use, McConnell introduced the Tobacco-Free Youth Act alongside Senator Kaine. The bipartisan bill raised the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, from 18 to 21.

“We didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. We knew that nearly all smokers – roughly 95 percent – started by the age of 21,” McConnell explained. “By raising the age limit, less tobacco winds up in high schools, which means less opportunity for children to get their hands on addictive vaping devices.”

McConnell highlighted Kentucky's struggles with tobacco-related health issues, noting that his state has historically had high cancer rates and cigarette-related cancer deaths. Despite Kentucky's close connection to tobacco farming, McConnell stressed that local farmers do not want their children forming nicotine addictions.

“If we’ve learned anything in the fight against addiction, it’s that families are right to be worried. At this critical stage of development, nicotine products can be the first step in a life maligned by serious health problems,” he said.

McConnell concluded by expressing pride in the Senate's efforts to address this public health crisis and gratitude for seeing tangible results from the legislation.