Petition to raise the minimum legal sales age for tobacco products to 21 in Schuyler County

During the years from ages 18-21, youthful experimentation often accelerates into daily use. It’s a time when the adolescent brain is highly vulnerable to the effects of a powerful addictive agent like nicotine. Exposure during this period may result in permanent neurological receptor changes that lead to a lifetime nicotine habit and resulting illness. Raising the nicotine/tobacco age also better protects younger teens, as 90% of those who provide cigarettes to kids under 18 are themselves under 21. As a result, raising the tobacco sales age to 21 has been shown to reduce high school smoking by over 50%.