Mound council considers ordinance to keep tobacco age at 18

PETITION FOR MOUND TO RAISE THE LEGAL AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO AND VAPING PRODUCTS TO 21
Recently Hennepin County amended the county's sales ordinance. The amendment essentially will change the legal age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21 and will effect city's like Mound that currently do not have an ordinance regulating tobacco.
In response Mound city council is considering creating a tobacco ordinance that would keep the age at 18
If you would like to see Mound have the legal age to purchase tobacco at age 21 please sign this petition.

Below are my thoughts on the issue.

I will never understand the following argument.
I want to sell Nicotine to young people.
Why do you want to do that.
I make money selling it to them.
I think it could also be translated this way as well.
Making money and promoting business is more important than peoples health.

Military argument. Jimmy can go to war but we wont let him smoke. My answer is Sure when Jimmy is 18 he can sign up for military service. If he decides this was a bad move and just not right for him he can quit in 4 years. If at 18 he makes a bad decision and starts smoking he is very possibly addicted for life and very possibly will spend the last years of his life struggling for every breath he takes.
But hey its ok after all someone is making money.

Nanny state argument. I dont want government telling me what to do. I get that, But over the last 3 decades I have asked thousands of smokers if they wished they could quit. I have only had 2 say no. Everyone else said very close to the following. Wish I could quit, starting was the worst mistake of my life.

Their older friends will just buy it for them argument. Very possibly true but currently 16 year olds are getting it from 18 year olds. unlikely that someone 21 will supply it for 16 and 17 year old kids. And no mater what less people would start smoking.

They will buy it in the city next to us. Yes they probably will but more and more municipalities are raising the age and I feel the more that do the more likely we are to see the change at a state level. I am sympathetic to store owners who may loose some sales. I have heard the argument that Mound cant afford to lose another business. But think of all the more business they will have with all the people who wont be dieing prematurely of smoking related illnesses. And I really have a hard time with the the notion that we should place commerce over our health and the health of our children.