Purchasing Tobacco Products In Maine Soon To Be 21+

Maine’s Legal Smoking Age to Become 21

A bill prohibiting Mainers below age 21 from purchasing tobacco products will soon become law.

The Senate voted 29-5 and the House voted 90-44 to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of the proposal, which supporters say will lower smoking rates and smoking-related deaths.

Republican state Sen. Eric Brakey warned that passing the bill would force young adults to seek to purchase the products illegally.

“We will see cigarettes becoming a product of the black market, sold by black market drug dealers who are selling more than just cigarettes and attracting new clients to their harder products,” he said.

Republican state Sen. Brian Langley of Ellsworth, whose mother died of lung cancer, pushed back against opponents.

“And I think her freedom to quit had been robbed from her at a very early age of when she started to smoke,” he said.

Proponents of the bill said it would prevent smoking deaths because about 95 percent of adults who smoke started by the age of 21. And a report circulated by the American Lung Association fund that increasing the legal age could prevent over 223,000 premature deaths of people born between 2000 and 2019.

In his veto letter, LePage said he can’t support a bill that denies legal adults from purchasing a legal product. He also argued that the bill would hurt Maine grocery and convenience stores.

The amended version of the bill exempts people already 18-20 years old and implementation is delayed until July 2018.

"In his veto letter, LePage said he can’t support a bill that denies legal adults from purchasing a legal product."

Does this mean he's going to lower the drinking age in his state? :no:

"In his veto letter, LePage said he can’t support a bill that denies legal adults from purchasing a legal product."

 

Does this mean he's going to lower the drinking age in his state? :no:

I'm absolutely in favor if lowering the legal drinking age to 18. If you're old enough vote and to be drafted to kill or be killed in the military, then you're old enough to drink a beer.

I'm absolutely in favor if lowering the legal drinking age to 18. If you're old enough vote and to be drafted to kill or be killed in the military, then you're old enough to drink a beer.

Agreed. I don't see it happening though. Just thought the comment was amusing because I don't see him lobbying for the drinking age to be lowered.

I'm absolutely in favor if lowering the legal drinking age to 18. If you're old enough vote and to be drafted to kill or be killed in the military, then you're old enough to drink a beer.

BTW when on vacation with my Daughter and Son-in-law we visited his base and went to the Commissary and I was surprised to learn from him, that even in the Military, you now must be 21 to drink.

"In his veto letter, LePage said he can’t support a bill that denies legal adults from purchasing a legal product."

 

Does this mean he's going to lower the drinking age in his state? :no:

Does any state have a lower drinking age than 21?

I'm absolutely in favor if lowering the legal drinking age to 18. If you're old enough vote and to be drafted to kill or be killed in the military, then you're old enough to drink a beer.

I'm not, due to the fact that so many 18 year old's aren't mature enough to handle it.

I'd go with 20 instead of 21. I'd also allow men and women that have completed basic training and are active in the military to be allowed to drink at that point regardless of age.

FWIW I'd have no problem if voting age was 20 also.

Does any state have a lower drinking age than 21?

The last state to adopt minimum legal drinking age or 21 was Wyoming. July of 1988.

I'm not, due to the fact that so many 18 year old's aren't mature enough to handle it.

 

I'd go with 20 instead of 21. I'd also allow men and women that have completed basic training and are active in the military to be allowed to drink at that point regardless of age.

 

FWIW I'd have no problem if voting age was 20 also.

I could absolutely live with that.

It's funny how things have changed. When I was a kid, probably around 10 to 12 years old, old man that lived next door would pay me to go to the store for him and buy him some tobacco. He always wanted a plug and a twist of tobacco. The store never questioned a 10 year old buying tobacco back then...:lol2:

I think I made 50 cents a trip, which wasn't bad considering I rode my bike and it was less than 1/2 mile away. 50 cents back then would get a candy bar and a coke out of the machine outside.

It's funny how things have changed. When I was a kid, probably around 10 to 12 years old, old man that lived next door would pay me to go to the store for him and buy him some tobacco. He always wanted a plug and a twist of tobacco. The store never questioned a 10 year old buying tobacco back then...:lol2:

 

I think I made 50 cents a trip, which wasn't bad considering I rode my bike and it was less than 1/2 mile away. 50 cents back then would get a candy bar and a coke out of the machine outside.

When we were in High School students could get a note from a parent and have "Smoking Privileges" in certain areas outside during free time. Ahh, that era is gone forever. And I kind of like it.

When we were in High School students could get a note from a parent and have "Smoking Privileges" in certain areas outside during free time. Ahh, that era is gone forever. And I kind of like it.

When I was in High School you didn't even need a note, there was smoking outside of every door between each class. We also had no cafeteria and had 50 minutes for lunch. Some kids would just sit outside and smoke for the entire 50 minutes, while I ran downtown to Druthers or Pharmacy lunch counter...yes we had to run to and from lunch in order to make it in 50 minutes.