Colorado Legislature Denies Higher Tobacco Buying Age

A House committee scrapped a measure to increase the tobacco buying age to 21.

March 21, 2014

DENVER – A bill that would have raised Colorado’s legal age to purchase tobacco to 21 has been denied in committee, KUSA-TV reports.

The House Finance Committee defeated the bill 7 to 6, with a split among Democrats. “Changing that policy, especially for someone who can go off to war, it doesn't seem the right policy and the right movement,” said House Speaker Mark Ferrandino. “I think there are other ways to try and reduce the use of cigarettes and tobacco products.”

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Dickey Lee Hullinghorst said she put her concern for public health first. “You know, we set the alcohol drinking age at 21,” she said. “Quite frankly from my perspective, and I think the statistics indicate, that smoking may be much more damaging to your health than alcohol consumption.”

Utah is also considering raising the legal tobacco buying age to 21, from its current 19. Alabama, Alaska and New Jersey already require tobacco purchasers to be 19. A bill in Hawaii raising its legal smoking age to 21 is pending in state legislatures, as are similar measures in Massachusetts and New Jersey. New York City and Hawaii Country, Hawaii, last year raised their legal tobacco age to 21.

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