Mitch McConnell Looks to Raise Tobacco Purchasing Age

Amid the hullabaloo surrounding the Mueller report’s release on Thursday, another shocking bit of Washingtonian nonsense is flying under the radar.

When it comes to what our government should be focusing on in this day and age, the prioritized list should include things like making sure that the Russians aren’t going to usurp our democracy, and assuring that children in Michigan aren’t being forced to drink lead.  These are no-brainers, and there are some in the halls of the Capitol that are doing just this.

But then there’s Mitch McConnell, whose unwillingness to inject himself into the current political storm regarding “RussiaGate” has been considered shameful by many.

Instead, the Senate Minority Leader is worried about how old you need to be to use tobacco.

At a news conference on Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky, the Republican said the legislation would cover products including vaping devices.

Eleven states have already enacted similar legislation, raising the age required to purchase tobacco to 21.

Mr McConnell’s proposed law will mirror those state laws already in place.

It will “protect the health of teens nationwide,” he said.

The reason for McConnell’s concern was bizarre, to say the least.

“For some time, I’ve been hearing from the parents who are seeing an unprecedented spike in vaping among their teenage children”, Mr McConnell said, adding that smoking was “reaching epidemic levels” in young people.

Vaping nicotine juice has long been seen by many as a gateway out of the addictive grasp of cigarettes.

While the health of our nation’s youth is certainly a concern worth investigating, there is little doubt that Mitch McConnell had better things to do this week as our public servant.