Governor John Carney kicked off the effort to raise the age for buying tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21.
During yesterday’s news conference the Delaware Democrat noted that many of the cardiovascular diseases arise from smoking.
Deborah Brown with the American Lung Association told WBOC that tobacco related diseases are a major driver behind the high cost of health care.
The state estimates that it costs Delaware around a half billion dollars each year.
But the television station reports that House Minority Leader Danny Short was skeptical about the impact.
The Seaford Republican said that it would be easy for many teens to make the trip to Maryland to buy tobacco or vaping products.
He added, “If someone wants to smoke, they’re going to just rise a few miles.”
