Raising tobacco age, increasing pot availability sends mixed message

Isn’t it somewhat ironic, Ralph, that here we have our politicians in Washington and Arkansas standing on their soap boxes proudly spouting off their condemnation of tobacco products being sold to anyone under 21-years-old and their recent decision to ban certain flavored e-cigarettes while seemingly embracing the legalization of marijuana, once considered a felony illegal gateway drug.

And, let’s remember my good buddy, when all tobacco products were considered to be so awful and socially unacceptable. In fact, these politicians quickly smacked excessive taxes on all tobacco, declared tobacco was the leading cause of lung cancer and not to be sold to anyone under 21 years old.

All of a sudden, cigarette smoking was banned from public places, leaving nicotine addicted smokers with fewer places to take up their unhealthy habit.

As you know, it didn’t take long before the e-cigarette craze appeared on the scene catering to a whole new audience. Tobacco retailers were quick to pick up on the so-called new alternative and opened what we now know as vaping shops with all sorts of products including flavored versions appealing to a younger generation.

E-cigarette and what is called vaping has been the going trend until just recently when all of a sudden this newfound habit is killing people and causing serious lung problems forcing politicians and health experts to switch gears claiming now vaping is just as dangerous as smoking tobacco, if not worse.

Oh, how we so conventionally make things that once was popular so bad and vice versa.

Let’s take our Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson for example. He came out front telling his fellow Arkansans that under the law of the land, purchasers of tobacco products must be 21 and that it is part of a federal spending bill passed by politicians in Washington before Christmas.

It was last year Hutchinson and state lawmakers enacted a similar law last year that would have phased in a tobacco-buying age increase to 21 by the end of 2021. But, as you and I both know, the federal law supersedes the 2019 state law.

Our governor also took the opportunity to praise the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s new policy shift banning the sale of flavored, cartridge-based electronic cigarettes within 30 days, while just awhile back it was being embarrassed by one and all as the flavored alternative to that nasty, cancer causing tobacco.

Heck Ralph, I remember back in the day when smoking cigarettes was fashionable, popular among Hollywood elites and heavily advertised on television and magazines.

Meanwhile, while these politicians are turning their noses up to not only tobacco as well as e-cigarettes they’re gladly holding their hands out grabbing all the new taxes and fees being generated by all the new and popular medical marijuana craze sweeping the state.

The state is raking in millions of new tax dollar off the sale of marijuana and it is expected Arkansas voters will jump on board with legalizing recreational pot which will mean even more tax dollars.

Now you and I both know Ralph the harmful effects of marijuana and how, for years, it has been determined as a gateway drug to more dangerous drugs.

What is going to happen when we start seeing all the harmful effects this much stronger marijuana has on all the people toking up? And, I guarantee you, the day is coming.