Raise Tobacco-Buying Age to 21, Experts Urge Senate

Heath officials applauded a proposed law to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21, telling the territory’s senators Wednesday that it would help limit access for people most susceptible to the drug’s well-documented adverse health effects and addictive qualities.

The change would also bring the Virgin Islands in line with federal standards in place since 2019, said Horace Graham Jr., Licensing and Consumer Affairs Department assistant commissioner. Graham told the Senate’s Committee on Health, Hospitals, and Human Services that tobacco sales rule enforcement would be a point of emphasis going forward.

Justa Encarnacion, commissioner of the Virgin Islands Health Department, said businesses that fail to comply with existing laws may be threatened with closure. She said reducing tobacco-related illnesses — including devastating cancers and long-term debilitations — would help lower the territory’s health care costs. Creating a generation of healthy, tobacco-free Virgin Islanders would go a long way.

“The developing brains of young people are more vulnerable to nicotine addiction, and starting tobacco use at an early age increases the likelihood of long-term dependence. By raising the age limit to 21, the policy would help delay the age at which individuals may start using tobacco, reducing the risk of nicotine addiction in the USVI,” Encarnacion said. “Over time, fewer smoking-related health issues would mean lower public healthcare expenditures, as well as reduced costs for families affected by tobacco-related illnesses.”