Here's an approach to ending tobacco usage that may be found acceptable to all except those who produce and sell it. It's simple. Make the legal age to use tobacco the same in all states and then increase that age by one year every year. This way those who used the stuff at the beginning will retain that option and those not legal would never attain that status. In a lifetime tobacco would be essentially gone. Tobacco would have to be made a federally controlled substance to do this because as a law it's discriminatory and therefore illegal. If any state tried this it would be unconstitutional and tossed out. No, I would not expect an instant end to underage users but in time as the legal age advances tobacco would become more distant and off youths radar screen. Feedback??????

Our politicians in Washington (both democrats and republicans) receive way too much money from tobacco to even consider something like this. I'm sure that many in Washington might agree with you in spirit, but would vote against it on these grounds.

Then again, even if a law like this pass, would it work? I wonder if it would simply end up the way prohibition did.

We know the ills associated with tobacco and the ways tobacco sellers have lied about it's dangers. I believe at this point that the gov't could be held liable for not instituting public health policy/regulations to end tobacco. It needs to make a move on this issue. This logical approach could find traction if enough impetus were put behind it. Because it is gradual it will not instantly torpedo that politico money equation. It allows the tobacco industry time to shift its product base. And who better to lead this endeavor than our profession?