Congress is expected to raise the minimum tobacco purchasing age to 21 as part of a year-end spending deal, according to a senior House Democratic aide.
Negotiators are also expected to repeal several major healthcare taxes as part of the deal.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has authored legislation to raise the minimum tobacco purchasing age. The provision would apply to cigarettes, vaping devices, and other tobacco products.
McConnell, who represents the tobacco-producing state of Kentucky, introduced the bill in May amid rising rates of teen electronic cigarette use, which the administration and lawmakers have deemed an “epidemic.” The rate of high school students using e-cigarettes hit a record 27.5% this year. So far, 16 states have taken the matter into their own hands by raising the minimum purchasing age to 21.
“We’ve heard from countless parents who have seen the youth vaping crisis firsthand… By making it more difficult for tobacco products to end up in the hands of middle school and high school students, we can protect our children and give them the opportunity to grow and develop into healthy adults,” McConnell said in introducing the bill.
Tobacco industry giants, including Altria and Juul, also support raising the minimum age to 21, having been on the receiving end of scrutiny from the government and public health groups for helping drive the increase in teen use.
In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration issued a regulation to set the minimum tobacco purchasing age at 18, citing data that found most people who smoked picked up the habit during their teenage years.
The spending deal is also expected to repeal the Cadillac tax on high-cost insurance plans, as well as a tax on medical devices, and would prohibit President Trump from ending automatic healthcare reenrollment, which automatically renews Obamacare exchange plans if the enrollee hasn’t gone online to change it.
[Read more: New bill would make e-cigarette companies pay for teenage anti-vaping campaign]
