Date:2020-12-30 22:29:57 Clicks:1019 【Font Size:
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By raising the minimum legal age of sale of tobacco products to 21years of age, Tobacco 21 (T21) policy aims to reduce youth access to tobacco products and smoking initiation. A study found that the policy is effective in limiting youth access to cigarettes and observed declining sales of cigarettes that are popular with young people.
Different states of the United States (US) had adopted T21 policy since 2015 before it became a federal law in 2019. Researchers used national survey data to identify cigarette brands that are particularly popular (“young cigarette brands”) and unpopular (“old cigarette brands”) with young smokers, and analysed data of tobacco sales between 2015 and 2019. The results showed that after implementation of T21 policy, the sales of young cigarette brands declined at a faster rate while the sales of old cigarette brands increased. The researchers concluded that T21 policy is a well-targeted public health intervention that could reduce youth access to cigarettes without affecting the sales of mature cigarette brands.
In addition to the US, Singapore and Thailand have also adopted T21 policy. COSH strongly urges the Hong Kong Government to follow the international trend and make reference to the successful precedent of the US, raising the minimum legal age of sale of tobacco products to 21 years to reduce youth smoking. The Government should also formulate a timeline for a total ban on smoking to strive for smoke-free Hong Kong.