Serene islands, crescent beaches and Mahalo are probably what pops into your mind he moment you think Hawaii. Well, the state’s lawmakers intend to keep it that way. Local Democratic representative Richard Creagan has sought to rid the state of a particularly cancerous evil!
Creagan’s radical move may mean would-be cigarette smokers in the US state of Hawaii have to wait a century for their first legal drag. He introduced a bill that would bar sales to anyone under the age of 100!
The proposed law would effectively amount to a cigarette ban by 2024. Hawaii already has some of the toughest laws on cigarette sales. But Creagan (who is an emergency room doctor) believes more needs to be done to ban “the deadliest artifact in human history,” according to his proposed bill.
“Basically, we essentially have a group who are heavily addicted — in my view, enslaved by a ridiculously bad industry — which has enslaved them by designing a cigarette that is highly addictive, knowing that it highly lethal. And, it is,” said Creagan.
Under current law, you must be 21-years-old to purchase cigarettes in Hawaii. However, the nationwide, the minimum age is 18 or 19.
According to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Creagan’s proposal calls for raising the cigarette-buying age to 30 by next year; 40 in 2021, 50 in 2022 and 60 in 2023. By 2024, the minimum age would be 100!
Interestingly, Richard acknowledges smoking cigarettes during his medical studies, reports NDTV. Yet, he says the bill is structured to withstand any legal challenge.
“The state is obliged to protect the public’s health. We don’t allow people free access to opioids, for instance, or any prescription drugs. This is more lethal, more dangerous than any prescription drug, and it is more addicting,” asserted Creagan.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking causes nearly half a million deaths every year in the United States alone. Perhaps we could do with such a radical change. Are you listening NaMo?