Attorney General to advocate raising legal smoking age before legislature

Attorney General Bob Ferguson will testify before the House Finance Committee tomorrow regarding his agency-request bill to raise the smoking age.

House Bill 1458 passed the House Health Care and Wellness Committee in a bipartisan 12-3 vote on Feb. 17, and was referred to the Finance Committee.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Mark Miloscia (R-Federal Way) and Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), would raise Washington’s age to legally use and possess tobacco and nicotine products from 18 to 21.

Tomorrow’s hearing starts at 3:30 p.m. in the John L. O’Brien Building, 504 15th Ave. Southeast, and will be available live on TVW.

Research, including a recent report from the Institute of Medicine, indicates that increasing the smoking age to 21 will significantly reduce the number of adolescents and young adults who start smoking; reduce deaths from smoking; and immediately improve the health of adolescents, young adults, young mothers and their children.