Two Tennessee lawmakers have introduced a bill that calls for changing the smoking and vaping age from 18 to 19 years old.
State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, introduced the bill in the Senate, while state Rep. Darren Jernigan, D-Davidson County, is sponsoring the bill in the House.
Representatives with the vaping industry do not believe changing the age will make a difference in when people start using vaping products.
"We see no reason for that to happen," said Dimitris Agrafiotis with the Tennessee Smoke Free Association.
Agrafiotis said the change doesn't make sense.
"It seems to me that it's appealing some of the health groups who have been advocating to push a higher age, but we know just increasing the age and taxes simply don't work for these products now," he added.
He said TSFA supports 87 vaping shops in the Tennessee Valley, and none of them have been cited for selling vaping products to anyone under 18.
"We feel the best approach to stop youth smoking and vaping is at the point of sale," Agrafiotis said.
According to the CDC, e-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youth. The latest numbers in 2016 show more than 2 million U.S. middle and high school students use vaping products.
"I think it's absolutely a misconception that vaping is safe," state Sen. Richard Briggs said.
Briggs is also a doctor, and he brought up a few concerns he has with vaping. First, nicotine is an addictive substance.
"We know that a very large number of people vape also smoke and particularly with young people it could lead to an addiction where they go to cigarettes and that's not good," Briggs said.
He also wonders what the long-term effects of vaping will be since it's a relatively new alternative to smoking.
Agrafiotis said e-cigarettes are helping Tennesseans quit smoking so lawmakers shouldn't take away the option from 18-year-olds.
"So not giving them the option to try a vapor product, which is must less harmful than regular smoking, is a complete travesty in my opinion. We should have these products available for those who have tried the available methods to quit smoking and have failed in the past," Agrafiotis said.
An informal poll on Twitter had nearly 900 votes within three hours and asked whether people support the bill or are opposed to it. More than 60 percent said they think changing the age is a good idea.