SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and may complicate pregnancy.  These are all warnings parents and teachers tell teens. Student nowadays know all of this. Cigarette boxes are required by law to have a warning label to tell people that smoking could lead to cancer and possibly death.

Many cities have recently raised the age to buy any tobacco product from eighteen to now 21 In late 2015, Kansas City Kansas and Missouri have became one of the first major cities in the Midwest to raise the tobacco to 21.  

“If you’re hooked on cigarettes you’ll find a way to get them,” nurse Angie York said.

The new law has upset some 18-year-olds who are already addicted like senior Rachel Frenchers.

“Eighteen to 21 leaves a huge gap of people who will now have to go through the withdrawal of the tobacco and nicotine,” Frenchers said. “They made a huge jump that leaves people at a disadvantage. I know people who are 21 that will end up getting the cigarettes for me. I know that 21-year-olds in Missouri are getting cigarettes for people who are now underage.”

Nearly all smokers start as kids or young adults, and these groups are heavily targeted by the tobacco industry.  Increasing the legal age to 21 will hopefully help to prevent young people from starting,

“I think it’s meant to have a positive affect, and I appreciate the attempt made to stop children from being addicted to cigarettes,” Frenchers said.

A national data survey by the FDA  showed that 95 percent of adult smokers begin smoking before they turn 21. The ages of 18 to 21 are also a critical period when many smokers move from experimental smoking to regular, daily use. While less than half of adult smokers (46 percent) become daily smokers before age 18, four out of five do so before they turn 21.

“I’m all for it. As a principal I have too many kids that are already using tobacco,”   Ileana Farney, Assistant Principal of Argentine middle school and parent, said. “I think they are getting it from the high school students. I think upping the age will make it more difficult for the high school students. Tobacco kills, of course I’m for raising the age limit. ”

In July of 2015 the CDC released a study concluding that a 75 percent of adults favor raising the tobacco age to 21, including 70 percent of current smokers and 65 percent of those aged 18 to 24.

“This law isn’t cutting back on everyone’s smoking. It’s just inconvenient,” Frenchers said