CT Legislators Consider Raising Smoking Age for Buying Tobacco

Connecticut lawmakers will again consider raising the state's smoking age from 18 to 21, under a new bill, H.B. 5384, proposed by Republican Rep. Prasad Srinivasan (R-31st).

State legislators have gone down this route before, in fact as recently as last year with a similar bill proposed in the state Senate.

If the proposal is eventually adopted, Connecticut would be the third state to raise its smoking age to 21, after California and Hawaii.

Connecticut was recently given an "F" grade by the American Lung Association for not raising the smoking age to 21, and for inadequately funding tobacco prevention and cessation efforts.

Srinivasan's bill, which is co-sponsored by fellow Republican Rep. Gary Byron (R-27th), states:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: That the general statutes be amended to raise the legal age for the purchase and use of tobacco products to twenty-one."

The bill has been referred to Joint Committee on Public Health, which was scheduled to discuss it and other bills during a public hearing set for today, Jan. 25, in Hartford.

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