Portland city councilors vote tonight on whether to raise the legal age to buy tobacco in the city from 18 to 21. The measure has already won approval of the council's Health and Human Services Committee on a three to nothing vote.
Councilor Ed Suslovic chairs the committee. He says a lot of research shows that teenagers are particularly susceptible to marketing by tobacco companies and are more likely to become lifelong smokers.
"Because of brain development, the way that works, apparently, teenagers are much more susceptible to addiction than adults," Suslovic says. "So anything we can do to postpone that decision to access tobacco products the better."
Suslovic says he'd prefer that the age hike take place statewide, but he says Portland can take the lead as it did years ago when the city banned smoking in bars and restaurants.
Suslovic says, if passed, the ordinance would go into effect in 30 days.
