A new study co-authored by Dr. Rafael Meza, scientist with BC Cancer, reveals the significant live-saving potential of policies that raise the minimum legal age for purchasing tobacco products.
Published in JAMA Health Forum, the study was led by researchers in collaboration with experts from the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) Lung Working Group. The group specifically studied the modelling projections of a federal law in the United States called Tobacco 21 (T21) that was implemented in several states in 2020 to officially raise the minimum age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21. By comparison, the minimum age for buying tobacco products in B.C. is 19.
The modeling study estimates that comprehensive enforcement of local, state, and federal laws could result in up to 526,000 premature smoking-attributable deaths being averted across the United States and 13.3 million life years gained through 2100.
“It’s clear that tobacco properties are harmful and can have a compounding effect on young people,” said Dr. Meza, senior author of the study. “Studies like this are very helpful for providing evidence to show that these types of policies can be effective to reduce adolescent smoking and tobacco use.”
The findings demonstrate that comprehensive implementation of tobacco control policies globally could avert hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and result in millions of life years gained through 2100. These findings build upon earlier projections, highlighting the transformative potential of well-designed public health policies.
This article has been adapted from its original version. Read the Yale School of Public Health story here.