Proposed Increase In Legal Age For Buying Tobacco Products

[eaglerico]

The article below mostly talks about cigarettes in NY, but at the bottom of the article it discusses recent studies and current ideas on a federal level to increase the minimum age to buy tobacco products. With a one year old I am in the middle on this one as I absolutely hate cigarettes, but I think all other tobacco products have their place in cultures around the world. I also feel as a responsible adult who went to college, I can tell you just because someone is 18,21,25 or 90 doesn't determine how responsible they are.
I think my biggest heartburn on this subject is the fact that everyday more and more tobacco legislation comes out yet at the same time more and more legislation comes out to legalize "the other weed." How can this even happen. Just yesterday there was a huge article all over the internet discussing how hard it is to make money legally selling it and how droughts have affected it. Who cares?
http://www.chron.com/news/medical/article/NYC-proposes-raising-age-for-cigarette-purchases-4452765.php

 

[lordofthepiperings]

Teenagers smoke cigarettes for the same reason they drink and have sex, because society tells them they can't/shouldn't. I think all this would do is injure an already unstable economy.

 

[05venturer]

Can this shit really be happening. Now NY wants to raise the age limits to buy tobacco to 21. Seriously what the hell is going on? You can go to war and fight for your country, vote for these boneheads we have in MOST offices but you apparently are not old enough to buy a pack of smokes. "America Home of the Brave but not so Free anymore". I am really sick of government trying to run every aspect of our lives.

 

[deanp]

Another stupid government proposal that will solve nothing.

 

[chum202]

Wow i smell uprisings and violent reaction if that law will be pushed through. Lawmakers these days are becoming nuts, what is happening?

 

[oklansas]

I'm of the opinion that all the big responsibilities and perks of adulthood fall on the occasion of the 18th birthday, as our young pups are thrust into full citizen-hood.
You're 18 - Drive, Drink, Smoke, Enlist for the Draft, Vote, and welcome to civil society!

 

[ffmurray]

I for one am glad, our country needs more laws, the more than 40,000 created in 2012 alone did not go far enough.

 

[judcole]

My personal opinion remains the same as it did on lowering the voting age. If you are old enough to join the military, you are old enough to vote, have a beer, and have a smoke, if you choose to do so.

 

[taerin]

I love how one of the main points to the plan says it will reduce the smoking rate of 14-17 year olds to bump up the legal age to 21. What kind of law makes it illegal for one group in order to stop it in a completely different group? This is stupidity at it's finest, but at least the government is being honest by saying outright that they are looking at and actively pursuing social engineering with our money.
I love this quote! "Intolerance for anyone smoking is the anti-smokers' excuse to reduce adults to the status of children," said Silk,

 

[papipeguy]

For what it's worth, in Pa, at least, store owners are supposed to ask for ID from anyone they think is under 27 years of age although the legal age for tobacco purchases in 18.

 

[ebag]

I'm with the majority on here and being an active duty military member it strikes home for sure.
A bunch of the military members have picked up smoking to relieve the stress from the life. Walk outside, get that nicotine hit, and calm down while everything else is hitting the proverbial fan.
But, it's ridiculous that I can literally be handed a weapon told to go overseas go shoot at people not only for your own country but whatever country you're currently in. But now you may not even be able to smoke? Luckily, most CO's don't abide the rule of it's up to their say if you can drink in foreign countries and let the country laws take over, but if you're stuck state side. It's ridiculous.
I can see it now though. Some junior sailor going up to Captain's Mast because he was caught smoking. How stupid is that?

 

[erichbaumer]

Because the 21 drinking age is so effective... I don't know ANY 18-20 yearolds who drink here at college...

 

[plateauguy]

Does this mean they would also up the Draft age to 21?
Anyone in the military should be considered an adult - smoking, drinking, etc. If you're expected to die like an adult, you should be able live like one.

 

[judcole]

it will reduce the smoking rate of 14-17 year olds to bump up the legal age to 21

That was the justification (or part of it) when they returned the drinking age to 21 in Michigan - it had been reduced to 18 in the early 70s, and then went back up. There was an increase in drinking among high school age kids with the 18 year old drinking age - a 17 year old is more apt to know an 18 year old to buy for them then a 21 year old, I guess.

What kind of law makes it illegal for one group in order to stop it in a completely different group

It makes perfectly good sense, looking at my example from above. Whether or not it's the best way to handle it is another question entirely, however.

City officials cited statistical modeling, published in the journal Health Policy, that estimated that raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 nationally could cut the smoking rate by two-thirds among 14-to-17-year-olds and by half among 18-to-20-year-olds over 50 years.

 

[youngpiper1]

I am old enough to die for this country , but not have a drink and apparentally if was in NY I can't have a smoke either

 

[jndyer]

I do not know if the link is broken, but it does not take me to the mentioned story, or any other story for that matter.