SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Nationwide, tobacco is the number one cause of preventable diseases, disabilities, and death, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Members of the San Antonio community showed their support for the raising of the tobacco smoking age to 21 at a rally on Wednesday. Supporters of the Tobacco 21 proposal joined community leaders, students, veterans and health care professionals at City Hall.

Tobacco causes cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease, states the 2014 report by the Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, 95 percent of smokers started before they turned 21 years old.

“Research shows that the later a person tries tobacco products, the less likely they are to become a lifetime user,” said San Antonio Metro Health Director Dr. Colleen Bridger. “We also know a vast majority of students get their tobacco products from kids who are 18, 19 and 20 years old, so eliminating that pipeline will drastically reduce the number of high school students who are tobacco users.”

Tobacco 21 supporters point to the rise in the number of high school students smoking as one of the reasons the age should be increased. The U.S. Surgeon General reported that e-cigarettes have sparked the increase of teens smoking since 2011.

A Metro Health survey found that 77.5 percent of San Antonio residents support the raising of the legal age to buy tobacco products to 21-years-old.

The San Antonio City Council is expected to vote on the Tobacco 21 proposal by Dec. 14.