SB2691 prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21 years of age.
The Senate passed SB2691 on February 5, 2025, by a vote of 49 to 2. We have assigned minuses to the yeas because anti-tobacco "public health" initiatives are outside the limited purpose and scope of government. This bill is not only economically harmful, but sheepishly complies with the unconstitutional 2019 federal "Tobacco 21" law, which further entrenches Mississippi in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's war on tobacco. It denies basic personal freedoms (e.g., the right to purchase or sell tobacco) and surrenders state sovereignty, while seeking to eradicate an entire industry. Adult citizens younger than 21 years of age are both eligible to vote and enlist in the military. Their non-injurious decisions over what they choose to eat, drink, or consume should not be criminalized. The Constitution's Bill of Rights and 14th Amendment protect against such arbitrary and discriminatory acts.
