Underage Pipe Smoking

[redfox]

I was immediately drawn to pipe smoking and smoked cigs as an alternative (since i couldn't get a pipe). I got through about 6 cigarettes before i forced my friend to let me try her pipe. It was everything that I ever dreamed a pipe would be and i promptly threw the cigarettes away. I find cigs disgusting and will never ever smoke one again. So now i'm waiting to turn 18 before i buy my pipe. I"m 16 now and turning 17 in october. I think it takes away any enjoyment you get when you have to hide to smoke. In regards to the question, i think that underage pipe smoking is fine as long as the people make a conscious decision to do so and know the consequences of what they are doing. To me it's just like tea (or coffee). If you can decide to sit back and relax with a nice cup of tea than you should be able to do the same with a pipe. Just my opinion.

 

[admin]

Well said redfox. Thanks for posting.

 

[muradsay]

I write as a person in his mid-sixties who took up pipe-smoking as a fifteen year-old. Looking back, it was an alternative to cigarettes and it was also much more fascinating, just the learning curve, the pipes themselves, the huge variety of tobaccos. Of course, I also smoked cigarettes at various points in my life, especially when I was in the infantry and carrying a pipe was out of the question.
But, the bottom line is still for me: I would do whatever I could to discourage a young person from taking up this or any habit that could eventually cause harm. Let's face it, enjoyable as it may be, smoking tobacco in any form is not something your doctor would want you to do, right?
It is hard to say, "...do as I do, not as I say", of course. But, I just cannot find a way to regard letting any kid as young as 15 take up smoking. If they do it anyway, and if they are responsible enough to know that there is a vast difference between smokers who inhale, and those who don't...well, what can you do really? But, I believe it is still good to say, "Hey, you might want to wait and make a choice about this when you are at least of legal age."
Just my personal take on it anyway.

 

[admin]

These are good points Murad.
However, I think it is worth noting that "legal age" is defined by culture and law, and it varies. In the USA, you are an adult at 18 and you can vote. However, you cannot drink until you are 21.
Legal age for smoking in the USA varies by state, between 18 - 21.
In other countries, it is different too. The age of consent, meaning when you can get married and have sex, are all over the place, as low as 14, 15, 16 in some countries.
Legal drinking age is all over the place too.
Here are a couple of interesting links.
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/legaldrinkingage.html
http://www.avert.org/age-of-consent.htm
The point is that the definition of "underage" is not really set.