Study findings released the week of March 13 by The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggest that raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 would significantly reduce the number of premature deaths related to smoking.

In a country that requires a person to be 21 years old to purchase alcohol, it’s ridiculous that tobacco is easier to obtain even though it’s much more harmful.

The IOM report estimates that increasing the tobacco purchase age to 21 or above would eventually reduce the number of Americans who smoke by 12 percent and result in 249,000 fewer deaths related to cigarette smoking for people born between 2000 and 2019, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The American Lung Association said that 85 percent of current smokers began smoking before the age of 21, and the IOM study also found that 90 percent of smokers report using cigarettes before the age of 19.

Simply cutting down the number of people who take their first puff at an early age could save thousands from premature death. Minors are less likely to have 21-year-old friends than, say, 18-year-old ones, making it that much more difficult to get cigarettes.

Early prevention is the key to solving most health-related issues. Increasing the age to 21, like the requirement for alcohol purchase, would hinder teens from acquiring tobacco products, especially on a regular basis. Without constant easy access, it will be a lot harder for teens to develop a smoking habit.

Several schools and jurisdictions, including New York City, that have raised the legal age to 21 have been able to cut youth smoking rates by as much as 50 percent, according to The Seattle Times.

Rather than restrict sales by city, the United States as a whole should push for a higher tobacco-purchase age. Until then, places like New York City are setting a good standard for a healthier youth.

But I still don’t understand why people think that keeping the tobacco age low is acceptable and alcohol should be harder to access. What makes it okay for tobacco, the leading cause of preventable deaths in the world, to be purchased earlier than alcohol?

It’s not okay. Our laws should at least be consistent when it comes to age restriction.

If we decide to lower the drinking age, this issue can be revisited. But for the time being, cities and states should take it upon themselves to fight for a higher tobacco-purchase age.