New bill could raise smoking age to 21

A new bill in the Michigan house would increase the legal age for buying tobacco products to 21 and ban tobacco product vending machines and online sales. 
 
Lawmakers behind the bill say while the legal age is 18, it’s common for even younger people to have access to cigarettes. 
 
Republican State Representative Tommy Brann is the lead sponsor on the bill. He said the bill was prompted by his time working as a restaurant owner. 
 
“I’ve seen my bus boys: 18, 17, 16 smoking cigarettes. My cooks also. They start at such an early age and I see them making the mistake. I thought when you were elected you were supposed to bring your life experiences here, good and bad, and try to help people. I know this does it.”
 
Representative Brann said he also had personal experience with smoking.
 
“I smoked when I worked for my dad in 1970. I did it because I wanted to be cool. I remember swimming by the dock and I got out of breath and I said ‘I can’t believe it, I’m 19 years old!’ I gave up smoking cold turkey. The problem is some people can’t give it up. It kills them.”
 
Representative Brann said he wants to make sure people who pick up tobacco habits know what they’re getting into. 
 
“I just want to give 18 year olds maybe a little bit more time to think about this big decision which could kill them. And also 21 year olds they’re not going to hang around 15, 16 year olds.”
 
Representative Brann says 16-thousand people die each year of smoke related disease. About 95 percent of them began smoking before 21.