Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – (WMAL) A seemingly simple bill designed to raise the minimum age to purchase and possess tobacco products turned into a philosophical debate over what constitutes adulthood during the D.C. Council meeting Tuesday.
“We have a sliding scale for what is adulthood, and that’s really the issue here,” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said, noting it makes little sense that 18-year-olds can serve in the military, vote, or even run for public office but cannot buy cigarettes for another three years under the bill.
The bill passed the Council by a 10-3 vote and now heads to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s desk, but the debate over adulthood and its affects on the juvenile justice system will likely linger. The bill imposes a $25 fine for anyone under 21 caught with cigarettes. There are also stiffer penalties for stores that sell cigarettes to teens.
Councilmember David Grosso was among those concerned that even a minor interaction with law enforcement can affect perceptions among youth.
“You look at the piling on of fines and fees on youth in our country and in this city. That puts them in a vulnerable position that makes it more likely they’ll end up in the juvenile justice system.”
Grosso said this could be used for a pretextual stop by police, in which they detain someone for a minor offense in order to investigate a more serious crime. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie accused Grosso of “conflating” the issue, insisting pretextual stops only apply to crimes, whereas possessing tobacco products is considered a civil offense.
“Quite frankly, I don’t appreciate really being lectured to about issues that I not only read in a book, but that I’ve experienced as a young man growing up in this city,” McDuffie said.
“Frankly, I think it’s ridiculous that this Council as a whole can’t stand up for the youth in this city,” Grosso shot back. He said there is little evidence to indicate civil penalties deter or modify behavior.
McDuffie disagreed.
“I think it’s important that we recognize that there are consequences when a juvenile makes a mistake.”
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