As a public-health student, it is in my best interest to help find ways to better the community's health.

Raising the smoking age to 21 in the state of Massachusetts would be a great addition to the smoking policies already in effect in the state. States such as Utah have raised the smoking age to 19 and are working on getting the legal age to 21. Can you guess which state has the lowest smoking rate? It's Utah at about 12 percent.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that nearly 9 out of 10 smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Each day in the United States, more than 3,200 people younger than 18 smoke their first cigarette, and an estimated 2,100 youth and young adults who have been occasional smokers become daily cigarette smokers.

With these statistics it is imperative that we address the seriousness of smoking in the country. If Massachusetts is able to get this legislation passed, we will be one step closer to achieving this goal and setting a good example for the health of our country and its youth.


UMass Lowell student