US lawmaker wants to ban cellphone use for anyone under 21

A senator says he wouldn't vote for the bill, but is trying to make a point.

A senator in Vermont, US, has proposed a bill that would ban cellphone use by anyone under the age of 21.

Democratic Senator John Rodgers cites cellphones as a big factor in instances of bullying and teenage driving deaths.

He told CNN that, to under 21-year-olds, cell phones are "just as dangerous as guns".

However, he says the bill will not pass but he is trying to make a point.

Because under-21s cannot legally own a firearm in Vermont, he is trying to show the same should apply to cellphone users.

"I'm not going to push for the bill to pass," he said. "I wouldn't vote for the thing. This is just to make a point."

"It is clear that persons under 21 years of age are not developmentally mature enough to safely possess them," the bill reads.

He proposes that violating the ban could lead to a $1000 fine, up to a year in prison or even both.

"The Internet and social media, accessed primarily through cellphones, are used to radicalise and recruit terrorists, fascists, and other extremists," the bill reads.

He says his constituents rely on their guns to keep themselves safe in areas there are too remote for police to reach quickly.

"People in rural areas are largely independent, and we take it upon ourselves to stay safe," he said. "Without the Second Amendment, we couldn't do that."

His bill has drawn criticism, with Michelle Fay, director of non-profit Voices for Vermont's Children, calling it a "hollow diversion" from more important issues.