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I understand the drinking age -- alcohol affects the way you think.  But smoking??
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...and smoking could determing whether you live to age 50 or 80.  

I'll admit, I started smoking at age 16.  Luckily, I quit after a few years, but to this day I still get the urge to smoke.  When I was 16, the gas station we all bought the cigerettes at acted on a "don't ask don't tell" policy, where even if they knew we weren't 18, they still sold us the cigs, in exchange for us not telling the cops.  That station has since been shut down by the state for multiple violations.  

I really believe that if the age were raised to 21, less underage kids will start smoking.  

I wish the age was 21 when I was a kid, then maybe I would have been deterred from starting.  

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It'd make it harder for the fake ID to check through, that's for sure ;)End Quote

you are absolutely right about that.  

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 Old enough to die for this country, but not old enough to smoke or drink?...
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  LOL!  Funny you mentioned that line, Screwball...once upon a time, while in the service, I tried that one on a bartender in town to get my underage-drinking-@$$ a beer.  Sadly, he wasn't convinced.  Oh well... :P

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I think this is a bad Idea, and can't understand why anyone would support it.  Old enough to die for this country, but not old enough to smoke or drink?  Bravo! Lets give people less freedom.  ::)
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I don't see it as a matter of freedom, but rather the fact the govt is finally recognizing the dangers of smoking.

How is that a bad thing?  

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I don't see it as a matter of freedom, but rather the fact the govt is finally recognizing the dangers of smoking.

How is that a bad thing?  
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I think if the government is truly recognizing the dangers of smoking they'd just outright ban it...BUT then that's another drug they'd have to police ::)  No solid answers there, friend.

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Currently, in the US, the cigerette sale age is 18.  My state, including many others, are considering raising it to age 21 to combat the underage kids from picking up the habit of smoking.  

Personally, I think its a great idea.  

What do you all think of rasing the cigerette age from 18 to 21?
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  I don't have a problem with that.  Give 'em a few more years to think about it.  Far as I'm concerned the age could be raised to 70.
  At what age are people deemed able to reach sound, informed decisions on their own?  (rhetorical question)

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...and smoking could determing whether you live to age 50 or 80.End Quote

So would exercising and eating right. George Burns smoked 'til he was, like... very old. Hugh Hefner is still smoking (okay, so he uses Viagra).  

Quoting:I really believe that if the age were raised to 21, less underage kids will start smoking.End Quote

Advertising to a younger audience helps get more kids into buying and smoking cigarrettes. Since when did alcohol and smoking laws deter kids from getting alcohol and cigarrettes? It's like saying, "Boy, guns should be sold to people over the age 31 because it's going to stop kids shooting other kids." I don't know, but the whole age-restriction thing just doesn't float as a viable argument to solve social and cultural problems. I bet if we were to put this to a vote it would be soundly defeated by a landslide majority with an unheard-of voter turn-out of 18-20 year olds. What next? Restrict sex for people over 25 ??? 

Quoting:I wish the age was 21 when I was a kid, then maybe I would have been deterred from starting.  
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But you admitted you started smoking when you were 16. Okay, I know I'm blonde, but your comments didn't make any sense. I read and re-read this topic, but I guess some things have to be spelled out for me :P

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I don't see it as a matter of freedom, but rather the fact the govt is finally recognizing the dangers of smoking.

How is that a bad thing?  


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It is a matter of freedom!  Freedom to smoke!  Freedom to not wear a seat belt!  Freedom to eat that fourth ice cream sandwich!  Freedom to do things that might not be good for you!  Freedom to live your life without the government trying to baby you when you're a legal friggin' adult!

(I don't get to make militant impassioned posts often, so I'm enjoying this)

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I don't know, but the whole age-restriction thing just doesn't float as a viable argument to solve social and cultural problems. I bet if we were to put this to a vote it would be soundly defeated by a landslide majority with an unheard-of voter turn-out of 18-20 year olds. What next? Restrict sex for people over 25 ??? End Quote

According to that logic, would you be in favor of totally abolishing the age restriction on cigerettes so all kids, any age, can buy them?  

You are right, age restrictions will not solve all the social problems, but in this case, I think it is a maor factor.

Quoting:But you admitted you started smoking when you were 16. Okay, I know I'm blonde, but your comments didn't make any sense. I read and re-read this topic, but I guess some things have to be spelled out for me :P
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My point was that when I was 16, I had no problem buying cigs, because the cigerete age was 18, and since I looked 18, and the place I bought them at didn't care about the underage buyers, I had no problem buying them at age 16.

If the minimum age were raised to 21, I doubt many underage kids would be as willing to just walk into a store to buy cigerettes like I did as a kid.  

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It is a matter of freedom!  Freedom to smoke!  Freedom to not wear a seat belt!  Freedom to eat that fourth ice cream sandwich!  Freedom to do things that might not be good for you!  Freedom to live your life without the government trying to baby you when you're a legal friggin' adult!

(I don't get to make militant impassioned posts often, so I'm enjoying this)
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I see your point.  I'm all for kicking the govt out of our lives just as much as the next guy.  But, I look at this on a personal level.  I wish the age were 21 when I decided to start smoking.  I wouldn't have been as willing to try my luck at buying my first pack being so young at the time.

Its not going to hurt anyone by changing the age minimum.  If anything, it may save some kids from starting the habit, and ultimately may save some lives.  

Thats he way I see it. :)

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According to that logic, would you be in favor of totally abolishing the age restriction on cigerettes so all kids, any age, can buy them? End Quote

No. I'm fine with 18. "If it ain't broke..." 

Quoting:You are right, age restrictions will not solve all the social problems, but in this case, I think it is a maor factor.End Quote

Well, we'll just have to differ here. I think a "major factor" here is parenting and also the influence television and the media gives impressionable kids. A good parent should be the one who's ever-watchful of what their kids watch and do in their spare time. I don't like the idea of the govt. making house rules when parents can do them. Smoking laws will only affect law-abiding citizens...

Quoting:My point was that when I was 16, I had no problem buying cigs, because the cigerete age was 18, and since I looked 18, and the place I bought them at didn't care about the underage buyers, I had no problem buying them at age 16. If the minimum age were raised to 21, I doubt many underage kids would be as willing to just walk into a store to buy cigerettes like I did as a kid. End Quote

We could easily switch the cigarrettes for big macs or chocolate, but I see where you're going with this. Underage teens can be confused as legal age teens and not as 21, but isn't that why stores "card" their customers? If a store wasn't carding their customers before, what's another law going to do for them?

Btw, I don't smoke. There's just something about breathing in fire that did not appeal to me as cool or the thing to do, but to each his own. I enjoy my addiction to pistachio almond ice cream and I'll be d@mn3d if they raise the minimum age for that!

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Edited to add: Is there an age limit on when you can own a gun?
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Hand guns is 21.

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I don't think raising the legal age is going to stop underage smoking. What about people between 18 and 21 who are smoking already? They're suddenly going to become criminals because of a lifestyle choice they made when it was still legal for them to have made it. Who's going to be the ones copping the fine/jail term? The "minors" who smoke, or the people who supply them? Here, the legal age for buying tobacco (as well as the legal age for the buying of alcohol) has been 18 for many years, but it's not illegal to actually smoke or drink under the age of 18, it's only against the law for someone to supply an underage person with booze or smokes. Just my opinion, but if the legal age for voting or getting drafted is 18, then the legal age for drinking and smoking should be the same. It doesn't make sense that you can earn one set of rights at one age, but not another set for another three years! I can understand governments not wanting people to start smoking at such an early age, but kids drink and smoke as young as 12 and 13 whether it's legal for them to do so or not - there has to be a more proactive way of dealing with the problem than just increasing the age limit all the time. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for young Americans to be entitled to vote, but not considered old enough to have a drink.

Edited to add: Is there an age limit on when you can own a gun?
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In the USA, as per the Constitution, a person cannot be charged/convicted of a crime ex post facto.  So the people who are smoking now won't get charged for having already smoked, but they might have to stop because each subsequent puff might be charged as a crime :P

Handguns are 21, shotguns and rifles are 18.  Ammo is also 18.

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So the people who are smoking now won't get charged for having already smoked, but they might have to stop because each subsequent puff might be charged as a crime End Quote

This was the point I was trying to make. Basically if you're already an 18, 19 or 20 year old smoker, and the legal age gets raised to 21, you'll be facing prison or a fine for doing something that, the day before, you were allowed to do. And you can't stop smoking just like that, so will these people be treated like other drug abusers?

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Handguns are 21, shotguns and rifles are 18.  Ammo is also 18.
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Thanks. This makes the age limit proposal on tobacco even more absurd.

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Thanks. This makes the age limit proposal on tobacco even more absurd.
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I know.  I say if they want to turn their lungs black, so be it.  It's their choice, and the government shouldn't have a say about it.  It's mostly because of bad parenting and rebellious kids that people lobby the government to do something about it, but there's only so much you can do.  The police have better things to do than to cite kids for smoking, and the kids know that.

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I don't see it as a matter of freedom, but rather the fact the govt is finally recognizing the dangers of smoking.

How is that a bad thing?  

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I believe that adults already know the dangers of smoking, but choose to take the risk anyway.  I don't believe smoking is a good choice to make; however I feel that the choice lies in the individual, not the government.

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...I feel that the choice lies in the individual, not the government.
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Amen!! The government is needed for some things, but there are many areas where it should just butt out!

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Hand guns is 21.

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