HALF Of America Now Has A Smoking/Vaping Age Of 21

As of July 2019, HALF of the American population now lives in jurisdictions with a tobacco/nicotine smoking/vaping age of 21 now.  It is a total of 18 states as of September 2019, and hundreds (if not thousands) of localities, and given the population distribution it adds up at least half of the population living in such places.  And now Pennsylvania, currently 18 statewide (with none of their localities setting it any higher), but soon to be surrrounded on all sides by states with an age limit of 21, unfortunately looks to join them as well.

That is a shame, since Pennsylvania has seen more progress than the national average in terms of reducing teen smoking (and less of an increase in teen vaping) in recent years, while the increase in teen vaping continues unabated nationwide regardless of the states who raised the age limit to 21 in recent years.  Pennsylvania raised their cigarette tax and implement a hefty vape tax on recent years, so that could be part of their relative success story.

UPDATE:  As of November 27, 2019, Pennsylvania raised their smoking age to 21, effective July 1, 2020.  And New York's hike to 21 has just gone into effect in November as well.  Thus, now MORE than half of the American population (and growing!) lives under a Tobacco 21 regime now.

In The UK, Cooler Heads Still Prevail When It Comes To Vaping

With all of this mass hysteria going on in the USA over vaping, we should keep in mind that our friends across the pond in the UK are generally NOT freaking out about it.  So what is so different over there?

First of all, regulation of advertising and promotion of vaping products is stricter in the UK.  Also, the nicotine content of such products is capped at a level significantly lower (as much as two-thirds lower) than the average of today's leading brands in the USA.  Even when those very same brands, most notably JUUL (aka "may their name and memory be forever blotted out"), are sold in the UK, they have to reduce their nicotine levels to be able to sell them there.  That, of course, is an EU-wide regulation, binding on all member states including the UK (at least until Brexit, just to Regrexit, if finalized).  The dose makes the poison, basically, and capping it greatly reduces (though does not eliminate) adverse side effects, not to mention the chances of young experimenters becoming addicted to nicotine so disturbingly quickly.

Also, the age limit is 18 over there (strictly enforced on vendors, just like regular cigarettes and alcohol), and there are no flavor bans either.  If anything, they seem to have an even wider variety of flavors.

Public Health England (PHE) certainly does NOT recommend that non-smokers ever take up the habit of vaping, but they do encourage current adult smokers to switch to vaping if they can't quit nicotine otherwise.  And they caution vapers not to vape any illicit or homemade products or add anything to the legitimate pods or liquid. Overall, authorities and the public health community keep a cool head about vaping, and guess what?  In the absence of moral panic, there does not seem be any real vaping epidemic among young people over there, and while there have been occasional reports of adverse reactions in general, there so far have not been any reported cases of the mystery vaping-related lung illness that the USA is currently grappling with.  (Of course, as we have already noted before, that mystery illness is primarily due to unregulated black-market vape products, especially THC ones, which often contain very questionable additives.)

That’s not to say that nobody is freaking out over there at all.  Every country has its share of that it seems.  But over in the UK at least, it currently seems to be confined to the tabloids for the most part.

We can really learn a lot from our friends across the pond.  So let's be adult about this, shall we?