America's Legal Smoking Age Is Being Raised To 21

[Refractive Reflections]

I don't know if any of you heard, but states (and cities) are raising the legal age of smoking from 18 to 21.

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-s...s-vaping-rules
http://www.ibtimes.com/california-fo...derage-2364307
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...MlK/story.html
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...l-smoking-age/

Chicago is not only raising the smoking age, but banning chewing tobacco at ballparks and other sport arenas.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/03/...-at-ballparks/

Should the smoking age be raised to 21? Like alcohol was back in 1984?

There are some saying it's hypocritical for the government to raise the age to 21, since the government believes 18 year olds are ready for full adult responsibilities (financial debts, criminal punishments, job/career hours, voting, draft/military service), but won't provide full adult privileges (alcohol, gambling, and now tobacco) until 21. What do you think?

[Andrew NDB]

God, the smoking community is collectively such pu**ies.

"OK, we'll sit in the smoking section."

"OK, we'll smoke outside."

"OK, we'll smoke 20 feet from any entrance."

"OK, we won't smoke on this street."

"OK, I won't smoke inside my house."

When is it ever going to be enough is enough?

Now raising the age to 21? They better f***ing raise the age of the draft to 21, too, then. Absolutely insane, appalling.

[Candy Kappa]

I'm all for banning chewing tobacco at ballparks, people are absolutely disgusting with that stuff and spits it wherever it suits them.

But it's a bit weird seeing people are allowed to drive steel death traps on wheels before their brain is finished developed, or can go into the military and get training to efficiently riddle another human being with bullets. But not take a drink or light a cigarette.

[ToTheNines]

Legalize freedom.

[snake]

Good. Smoking is one of the worst things you can do to your body. I don't care what anyone says.

[plastroncafe]

I want to say that MA is looking to ban smoking in cars that have children in them.

I don't really have a horse in this race, as I don't smoke, and don't intend to start. It seems to me though that if this activity is so dangerous...why isn't it just completely illegal?

Oh right, tobacco lobby.

I will also say that I think our age limits are kind of out of whack.
I'm for 18 being the legal age to vote and to serve in the military, but I think we should swap driving and drinking. Let 16 year olds buy beer, but don't let anyone drive until they turn 21.

[CyberCubed]

Good. All those College kids will still smoke anyway.

Most people start College at 18, and by the time they're 21 they're already in College for 3 years. Hard to imagine people at dorms and universities for 3 years with no parental supervision wouldn't be smoking if they wanted to.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by snake

Good. Smoking is one of the worst things you can do to your body.

So what? So is the sun.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

I don't see anyone under the age of 40 smoking anymore, so what does it matter? Are new kids/adults actually picking up this habit? 'Cause I never see it; not on my college campuses, not at my malls, not anywhere.

[snake]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

So what? So is the sun.

You have no choice about viewing the sun or not. And we have sunscreen. Smoking is a choice.

Weak point

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

I don't see anyone under the age of 40 smoking anymore, so what does it matter? Are new kids/adults actually picking up this habit? 'Cause I never see it; not on my college campuses, not at my malls, not anywhere.

Kids still smoke.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

I want to say that MA is looking to ban smoking in cars that have children in them.

I don't really have a horse in this race, as I don't smoke, and don't intend to start. It seems to me though that if this activity is so dangerous...why isn't it just completely illegal?

Oh right, tobacco lobby.

I will also say that I think our age limits are kind of out of whack.
I'm for 18 being the legal age to vote and to serve in the military, but I think we should swap driving and drinking. Let 16 year olds buy beer, but don't let anyone drive until they turn 21.

You cannot smoke inside a café, restaurant, wtv. here since like... 2007? Amazing law. I HATED going out to eat and having someone on the next table smoking. Having smoke going over your food is NOT pleasant.

You can buy beer and wine at 16 in my country. They raised the drinking age of spirits to 18 recently, though.

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

I don't see anyone under the age of 40 smoking anymore, so what does it matter? Are new kids/adults actually picking up this habit? 'Cause I never see it; not on my college campuses, not at my malls, not anywhere.

I see it pretty often. I guess it depends on the country. I've seen/heard a few americans saying before that one of the things that surprised them the most about Europe was how smoking was so prevalent. I know that in France people smoke a lot. I remember, many years ago, a study on TV saying that women in my country were more likely to smoke than men. In HS and in College plenty of my classmates smoked. As in half or nearly of it.

[Commenter 42]

Did it mention vaping? You know, the even dumber form of smoking?

[Prowler]

Btw, do you guys in the US put disclaimers in your tobacco packages like we do in the EU saying things like "Smoking kills" or "Smoking is bad for your sperm"? Now they're planning to put pictures of rotten lungs on them, in order to make people smoke less. They should be coherent and do that with booze too lol

[TheSkeletonMan939]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

Let 16 year olds buy beer, but don't let anyone drive until they turn 21.

You've got to be kidding. Letting kids get comfortable with alcohol before putting them behind the wheel is a great way of raising crash-related fatalities.

[Prowler]

Eh, in my opinion, booze, tobacco and driving should all be at 18. Same for voting and military service.

I might be mistaken, but I think you can get a motorcycle license at age of 16 in some European countries...

[snake]

Originally Posted by Commenter 42

Did it mention vaping? You know, the even dumber form of smoking?

Vaping is so f*cking stupid. I actually cringe whenever someone my age talks about it. That sh*t is gonna catch up to them eventually.

[ToTheNines]

Nanny state bull ****. It won't stop at smoking.

[AT-Man]

I smoke, and I approve of anything that oppresses smokers.

[Prowler]

One thing I dislike about the indoor smoking ban law however... is that smokers at work are allowed to take more breaks and go outside to smoke their cigs. And I know some certainly use smoking as an excuse to take more breaks. As a non-smoker, I can only go somewhere else for a while if I'm hungry or need to pee. I Although, I guess that also makes smokers less productive as a whole.