Thoughts on raising smoking age?

http://q13fox.com/2015/02/11/washington-could-be-first-state-to-raise-smoking-age-from-18-to-21/

So heard about this recently and I think it is kind of useless to raise the age because teens find ways to get alcohol, do you guys think this would be effective?

 

should stay at 18 and alcohol should be brought down to 18 as 21 is a joke

 

I've been smoking since 17 and at our country no matter how old you are and smoking lool

 

Well I smoke, but I think it's pointless to have an age above 18, you are considered an adult at 18 so shouldn't you have the same treatment as other "adults"

 

smoking doesnt really impair your judgement like alcohol does. its just addictive. there is no real reason to raise the age. if its gonna happen , its happens.

 

I personally think smoking is an inefficient means of suicide, one that also hurts other people along the way, so I'm all for raising the age to whatever. The only "good" it creates in society is smokers feeling good about themselves, which they can achieve through other means as far as I'm concerned. Tobacco companies have spent hundreds of billions of dollars in lobbing and legal battles to be able to prey upon younger smokers, and I'd love to see them suffer this loss as well.

Though it's definitely worth noting that the US market is very small compared to China's. While banning smoking in WA sets a precedent, good luck getting it passed in more conservative places.

 

They can raise the age if they must, but at the end of the day people are still going to be able to get there hands on cigs, even if they are not old enough.

 

I personally support the raise, and hope it takes effect all over the states.

 

Honestly doubt it matters.

You know nobody really gives a shit about smoking/drinking ages, people will do it anyway and have friends get it for them.

 

Doesn't matter to me. I'm a former cigarette smoker, and I know that raising the age is pointless.

 

Since you're the only one that answered this way what's you're reasoning?

 

"We know that 95-percent of teens who don’t smoke by the time they’re 21, never end up smoking,”.

Personally, I find that to be a good reason to support the raise.

 

I'm firmly against raising the age. If an adult wants to buy cigarettes, they should be allowed to and held responsible for their own decisions.

 

Drinking at the age of 21 is a bit much imo. Here, in Canada, we have the age of 18 for drinking and smoking. Most people start to do both before that age and honestly, it's so easy to get a hold of these things that 21 sounds too high. 18 is a good age.

 

allllll for this, smoking is sucha waste

 

i support this

 

I doubt the smoking age (in germany) will ever get raised, because you're allowed to smoke when you're 18. When you're 18 you also have the status of being an adult - and basically can do whatever you want.

I smoke myself and am 19 years old, so aslong as it doesn't change within the next 2 years, I really do not care too much.

You can drink beer, vine etc. when being 16 and vodka, gin etc. when you're 18 aswell, so that won't change neither. Idk how it is in other countrys though.

 

Being a smoker myself, the smoking law is fine to stay at the legal age of 18. I mean the population nowadays smoking before the age of 18 is very high, and was even higher back in the 70's and 80's. Back then it was normal for everyone to be smoking, now it's normal to see underage kids with a ciggarette in their hand. I've never really cared much about the law itself, but it's completely understandable to only be allowed to buy smokes at the age of 18 or above. Raising the law for that would just be down right stupid in my eyes.

Alcohol is the same, here in Australia you need to be 18 to buy alcohol from any store, I just can't fathom how America has it set to 21, I mean by the time you're legally allowed to drink you'll be hitting your mid 20's. Raising these laws aren't going to prevent more smokers or heavy drinkers etc, because at the end of the day it's a choice, and raising the bar will just piss more people off.

I'm with the laws, but totally against raising them, I see absolutely no point in it whatsoever.

 

Why not? Hell, why not ban smoking and put the tobacco gurus in jail for crimes against humanity?

Anyways, I'm all for raising it. It won't work for everyone, as some people smoke even before 18. It will have an effect though.

 

I don't support tobacco being commercialized for young adults. I know it doesn't stop people from smoking cigarettes if they want to, but it does create a fine line on what age group should smoke it given the choice. Adolescents are known for making poor choices, and to push something that's bad and addictive to the youth isn't fine with me.