Medical Report: Could a tobacco-free generation be in our future?

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States.

At present time, there are strict age limits on who can purchase cigarettes, but a Boston University law professor believes this is not the best way to deal with the issue. In her opinion, delaying the age of smoking only delays the addiction. Her goal: a tobacco-free generation .

To do so, it would be illegal to sell cigarettes to people born after a certain date. This plan is already in place in Brookline, Massachusetts, where no one born after Jan. 1, 2000, can purchase cigarettes.

Those born before 2000 and already addicted are not legally forced to stop, but those who are younger are far less likely to smoke and become addicted.

Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough .

​​KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.