[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 55 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H2822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RAISE LEGAL PURCHASE AGE FOR TOBACCO TO 21

  (Ms. DeGETTE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, if my colleagues pick up any copy of 
Rolling Stone or Sports Illustrated, they are certain to see tobacco 
advertisements dominating the pages. Why? Because these publications 
are aimed at college-aged kids, and tobacco companies know they must 
aggressively seduce this age group into smoking if they are to survive 
as an industry.
  That is why R.J.R. has invested millions of dollars in its Camel Club 
Program in cities like Cleveland and in Denver, where college-aged kids 
hand out free cigarettes and R.J.R. paraphernalia to their peers.
  Most minors under 21 who pick up smoking as a casual habit will 
become addicted to cigarettes for a lifetime. In fact, there is a less 
than 10 percent chance of becoming addicted to cigarettes if a smoker 
does not first light up before his or her first 21st birthday.
  The only way to stop the tobacco industry from luring kids under 21 
into using this deadly product is to make the sale of tobacco illegal 
to this age group. By raising the age to 21, we can stop this deadly 
practice.

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