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Kowitt, S. D., Schmidt, A. M., Myers, A. E., & Goldstein, A. O. (2017). Should the Legal Age for Tobacco Be Raised? Results From a National Sample of Adolescents. Preventing chronic disease, 14, Article 170255. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd14.170255
Raising the minimum age of legal access to tobacco products may reduce smoking initiation and save lives. In a national telephone survey (2014-2015), US adolescents aged 13 to 17 years (N = 1,125; response rate, 66%) were asked about raising the age of legal access to tobacco products and randomized to hear one of 3 ages (19, 20, or 21 y). Most adolescents, across all US regions, favored raising the minimum age of legal access to 19 (75.7%), 20 (80.6%), or 21 (76.4%). These supportive attitudes may be useful to tobacco prevention and control practitioners who seek to reduce tobacco use among adolescents.