All of these changes come amid what the Brookings Institute describes as a youth vaping epidemic. This law is meant to reduce the number of people getting ill from tobacco related habits as well as greatly reduce the amount of children currently addicted to nicotine.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “the number of middle and high school students using e-cigarettes rose from 3.6 million in 2018 to 5.4 million in 2019 – a difference of about 1.8 million youth.”
Local students from the University of Denver were interviewed on the impact that the Tobacco to 21 Act has had on their lives and the lives of their friends.
“It’s getting crazy how young people are starting to vape,” said Jacob Feldman, junior at the University of Denver (DU).
Feldman, a regular nicotine user strongly felt the impacts of the new law “before being 21 I basically had to quit, it [the new law] has a huge impact,” he recounted.
Other University of Denver students seemed to not notice the new policy being implemented in stores throughout the nation.
“I didn’t even know this law passed,” said senior Courtney Stuart.
Junior Max Rubenanko was aware of the new law but felt unaffected as him and his peers were nonsmokers.
“I don’t use nicotine products or know anyone that uses nicotine products,” said Rubenanko.
All three DU shared optimistic views towards the effects of the new law on reducing underage smoking in middle school, high school, as well as some elementary schools. Feldman and Rubenanko both believed that the impact will be far less for those that were between the ages of 18-21.
“Kids that have already been doing it are addicted, so they’re going to keep doing it” said Rubenanko.
“I know a lot of people that are currently not 21 that had previously vaped when it was 18 and are still able to,” recounted Feldman.
He went on to elaborate that many college age adults can either just have their of age friends buy it for them or utilize fake I.D.s.
“It’s a good idea but it’s hard to enforce,” said Feldman discussing various work-arounds for underage smoking.
Stuart believes the new law takes aim at e-cig giant JUUL and commends the government for taking action against them.
“JUUL has courted the market on underage smoking,” according to Stuart and she believes that this will have broad implications on society.
“I think it [the law] will affect a lot of people,” Stuart summarized.
Just like the long-term effects of vaping, the residual effects from this new law are still being felt across the country. For those over 21 or who may be nonsmokers, this new law may seem inconsequential, but for those that last month could light one up and are now unable, the change is felt.
Feldman lamented, “Before I was 21 the impact was huge. This was something previously accessible to me, and now isn’t.”
The MFJS Reporter -- Winter 2020 T-R 
It’s a very interesting story. Being in college I know a lot of people that do use nicotine products, and I will be interested to see how they change their habits. It would be nice if they stopped, but I agree with Feldman in that they will likely just find away around the law.
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This topic is super relevant to our college demographic right now. It is interesting to see how the recently changed tobacco laws affect DU students. It seems many of them have found ways to get around these laws. I think this says a lot about how established nicoteine habits among underage students can exist despite the legislation agaist them.
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