Survey Reveals Substantial Support to Raise Smoking Age in U.S.

A recent survey shows significant support behind raising the minimum age for tobacco purchases across the nation. An increased legal age could lead to a significant drop in the smoking rate, according to a National Academy of Medicine report conducted in 2015. If the legal age is upped only a few years, to 21, the nation could experience a 12% decrease in smoking.

By increasing the age and essentially restricting tobacco usage, it’s inevitable that fewer Americans will take up smoking altogether – by not starting. If fewer adolescents start smoking, they’ll be much less likely to smoke as adults, preventing common tobacco-related side effects like cancer and heart disease.

The survey, which polled 4,800 adult Americans across all regions of the United States, asked participants if they were in support of raising the legal age to 19, 20, or 21. The majority of participants said yes – they were in favor of the change – and support even spanned across political parties. Dr. Adam Goldstein, lead researcher from the University of North Carolina’s Lineberger Comprehensive Center, said most Americans can agree to the age change, regardless of their political stance.

When pollsters further analyzed the results, they noticed that women, Hispanics, non-whites, non-smokers, and participants older than 21 were more likely to support the age increase.

Responses varied in different parts of the country, but overall, the majority of states support raising the minimum legal age. 73% of people surveyed in 4 states in the south (including Texas and Louisiana) were in favor of the change, while 59% of participants in the Midwestern region (including Iowa and Kansas) were supporters. Dr. Goldstein is encouraged by the findings. He believes that policy makers can use the data to make advancements in their states – now that they know the public is in support of the change.

The increased legal age is already active in some states, like Hawaii, which upped the tobacco sales age to 21 on January 1^st. New York City has increased their age as well, while many other cities are beginning to follow suit. Goldstein believes the survey data will increase momentum and help to motivate lawmakers. And, already, smoking rates are dropping. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported a 2% decrease in smoking rate from 2014 to 2015. This may not sound like a big change, but it’s the largest decline the nation has seen in over 20 years. 

Quitting Smoking a Cold Turkey Decision

Thinking of quitting smoking? Good for you! That’s a brave first step to a healthier life. However, the road to a smoke-free life may not be quite as easy as slapping on a patch or chewing some gum. According to some scientists, relying on smoking cessation devices and drugs may have more pitfalls than promises.

Studies at the University of Oxford are now saying that while it certainly isn’t easy, simply going cold turkey may be far better than relying on gums, patches, or other nicotine resources. According to the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine participants who tried to gradually reduce the levels with cessation products had less success in actually giving up smoking than those who simply threw away their cigarettes or other tobacco products and quit.

The kick back is that while it does seem to make giving up the actual cigarettes easier, there will be a point where you either have to stop using the cessation products, thereby eventually having to go without any nicotine at all, or be hooked on a different form of the real source of smoking addiction—nicotine anyway.

More Effective Alternatives for Abruptly Quitting Smoking

Quitting is probably the smartest choice you will ever make. It will improve your health, allow you to enjoy life better, and avoid countless health hazards associated with smoking. There are better options for stopping than nasal spray, gums and the rest, if you are considering going cold-turkey. Join a group online, find a therapy group for smokers in your community and get support. Of course, family and friends who are supportive are wonderful, but unless they have quit, or are trying to quit, they may not be able to provide you with the type of support and understanding you really need. For a non-smoker, the struggles of stopping do not seem real. Talk therapy does help a lot, however, when there are people who have been through it or are going through the same things you are.

Believe it, or not, your overall state of mind may play a much larger part in your success or failure when it comes to giving up tobacco. Having a positive perspective and a good outlook will help you get through the times when managing the cravings seem overwhelming. Don’t be fooled into complacency either. Many people who successfully quit for months, even years, end up going back, and to some that seems unthinkable. Just like an alcoholic, once a smoker, always a smoker. The key is in taking it one step, one day at a time, and realizing that you can never have “just one.”

 Even after years, one of the dangers is that you can begin to feel overconfident, and forget that you were once addicted. Then something happens out of the blue, it could be a simple little aggravation or a big life-changing issue, and suddenly you may get hit with a craving and slide right off the wagon. Knowing that, and remembering that it can happen is one of the most powerful tools to avoiding relapse and picking up those cigarettes again. Your mind is your most helpful weapon against the dangers of tobacco.

Information about E-cigarettes

The use of e-cigarettes, also known as "vaping" has increased exponentially in recent years. These devices were originally marketed as a safer alternative to regular cigarettes. They were also marketed as a way for smokers to perhaps quit smoking. There are both positive aspects and drawbacks to the e-cigarette craze, but many people in the medical field still warn against the possible health effects associated with them. 

There are so many risks involved with smoking yet people still do it. This addiction can lead to several diseases such as cancer of the throat and mouth, emphysema, and myeloid leukemia. This insidious disease is a fast moving and fast growing cancer that affects the bone marrow and the blood. It is rare and often isn't caught until later stages because the symptoms are similar to other illnesses, including the flu. After diagnosis, treatment often includes chemotherapy and perhaps a stem cell transplant. Neither methods are pleasant and both often require long bouts of hospitalization. 

If you want information on the effects of what's actually within the liquid cartridges in e-cigarettes, the area is still a little unclear. There haven't been too many studies on these devices, but researchers from a study associated with the U.S National Institute of Health have warned that teens who use them are at higher risk to becoming addicted to nicotine. And while the e-cigarettes may not have all of the other cancer causing chemicals in them, they certainly do have nicotine - and that's certainly just one danger of cigarettes. 

Basically the only real way to avoid illness associated from nicotine use is to avoid it altogether. "Smoking" an e-cig or vapor cigarette still allows for a risk of disease and serious illness. The only real way to to cut the number of deaths associated with tobacco use is to just never start smoking at all, no matter if it's regular cigarettes or e-cigarettes. However, if you must smoke, it may be beneficial to switch to e-cigarettes to help you kick the habit and/or to lower your risk of developing some diseases. It is a risk that only you know for sure if you want to take - just be sure to be an informed consumer.