Resolution in Opposition to the Federal Government Criminalizing or Mandating the Appropriate Age of an Individual to Purchase or Use Tobacco Products
| Model Bill Info | |
|---|---|
| Bill Title | Resolution in Opposition to the Federal Government Criminalizing or Mandating the Appropriate Age of an Individual to Purchase or Use Tobacco Products |
| Date Introduced | July 16, 2019 |
| Type | Model Policy |
| Status | Draft |
| Task Forces | Criminal Justice |
Resolution in Opposition to the Federal Government Criminalizing or Mandating the Appropriate Age of an Individual to Purchase or Use Tobacco Products
Resolution in Opposition to the Federal Government Criminalizing or Mandating the Appropriate Age of an Individual to Purchase or Use Tobacco Products
Whereas, currently there are approximately 4,500 federal criminal statutes and roughly 300,000 federal regulations with criminal penalties and new federal crimes unrelated to reducing crime rates should not be created; and
Whereas, a criminal record presents a significant obstacle to an individual’s ability to obtain employment, housing, and education, particularly given the proliferation of mechanisms for performing far-reaching background checks; and
Whereas, states have traditionally determined the age for an individual to legally purchase and use tobacco products; and
Whereas, states have historically determined the legal age requirements for everything from marriage to contract law; and
Whereas, a federal law raising the age to above 18-years-old for an individual to legally purchase and obtain tobacco products would mean that individuals required to register for the draft and serve in the U.S. Armed Forces would be prevented from purchasing tobacco products; and
Whereas, the federal government should not place mandates or commandeer the states to adopt policies against the will of a state; and
Whereas, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is committed to developing effective policies and empowering state lawmakers to make sound policy choices for their constituents; and
Therefore Be It Resolved, that the federal government should not criminalize tobacco use and that the states rather than the federal government should determine the age at which an individual should be able to purchase or use tobacco products.
