The city of St. Cloud is considering whether to increase the age to buy tobacco in the city to 21.
Really, though, if elected and professional officials of any government wanted to do what's best for their constituents, they would simply outlaw tobacco. Yes, admittedly, that seems extreme. Until you try to answer one fundamental challenge: Name one redeeming quality of tobacco.
The health evidence is overwhelmingly and unequivocally negative — even deadly. The historical and cultural significance of tobacco in the U.S. — except for American Indian traditions — is built on marketing myths, nothing more.
Then, of course, there's the money — arguably the real reason an outright ban is seldom given serious consideration. Economics rooted in tobacco and smoking production certainly benefit those directly involved — including governments, which tax the tar out of tobacco while simultaneously letting various elected officials collect lobbyists' cash.
But those narrowly targeted economic benefits pale in comparison to the costs tobacco products inflict on all of society — from health care to never-ending public-policy debates, the age of purchase being just the latest example.
With all that in mind, the challenge remains: Name one redeeming quality of tobacco. Of course, nobody expects St. Cloud's elected leaders to show that much political courage. Still, they are on the right track.
Crave the Change, a central Minnesota organization that's spent the past decade fighting tobacco use, offers an array of statistics on why boosting the age to 21 makes sense. Among the most compelling:
• Nearly 95 percent of addicted smokers start by the time they turn 21.
• About 77,000 Minnesota kids use tobacco. While half of those teens have tried to quit, 80 percent will become adult smokers.
