WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with seven other senators, introduced the Tobacco to 21 Act (S.2100), legislation that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.

“Thanks to tobacco control measures like banning smoking in public places and placing warning labels on cigarette cartons, far fewer people smoke now than did 50 years ago,” said Durbin in a press release. “We can help prevent a new generation from falling prey to this deadly epidemic by passing another commonsense measure to reduce youth tobacco use: raising the minimum tobacco age of sale to 21.”

According to a study released this summer, three out of every four American adults favor increasing the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. “This year, Hawaii became the first state in the nation to raise the minimum smoking age to 21,” said Schatz. “It was an historic public health achievement that we should adopt nationwide.”

“The harder it is for children and teenagers to get their hands on tobacco products, the easier it will be to keep our next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine,” added Brown. “Our country has come a long way on tobacco products—we’ve banned the marketing of cigarettes to children, we’ve prohibited the sale to minors, and we’ve helped people find ways to quit once they are hooked—but we need to do more to keep people from becoming addicted in the first place.”

Senators co-sponsoring the bill are: Ed Markey (D-MA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).  Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Mark Takai (D-HI).