Tobacco 21

[Guest123_x1]

There has been a movement in recent years across the United States to raise the minimum legal smoking age from 18 to 21. Hawaii and California already have such laws on the books, and local municipalities in many other states have done the same thing as well, including Genesee County, Michigan (a label supplied by the county health department for all tobacco retailers in the county is shown above) (although their regulation has been suspended based on a legal opinion by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette that state law preempts local attempts at "Tobacco 21" ordinances.)

Supporters say that #RaiseTheAge for smoking to 21 will reduce the number of teen smokers and improve overall public health, while opponents claim that such laws are ineffective since those between 18-20 will travel elsewhere where Tobacco 21 laws do not apply to buy cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes.

What do you think of the movement to raise the smoking age to 21?

While I am understanding of the objective behind Tobacco 21 (to reduce youth smokers), I have my doubts as to whether it will actually work. Given that so many people start smoking in their teens (including school-age, since several of my classmates started smoking while we were still in school), it's going to be a very difficult battle to reduce youth smoking.

 

[Nah]

I don't really expect raising the smoking age from 18 to 21 (which, I thought it was 19? or is there some odd discrepancy between the age you can smoke and the age you can buy smokes?) to do much of anything. People would still find ways to obtain cigarettes and the like underage (because, y'know, they currently do), same as drugs and alcohol.

Really I think the US should just ban smoking tobacco altogether. Not going to get into the obvious personal health issues about it since I feel it would be a bit hypocritical of me to so since I drink regularly, but it does/can negatively impact the health of people who don't partake in smoking, and I'd think that alone would be grounds to make it illegal. But I can't expect that to happen anytime soon--way too much money in the tobacco industry for that to happen.

 

[Lucid]

Cigarettes should be the least of Americans worries right now. Kids are less likely to smoke then drink. Move the fuck on. We have bigger fish to fry.

 

[World King]

I honestly don't think increasing the age required to legally smoke will actually do anything to solve anything. If anything, it'll only make things worse.

Trust me; I've seen here (Mexico) how we have, to some extent, tried that; both in cigarretes and Alcohol, and it just isn't any different. Think about the # of kids that already do it; increase the # by those that are now no longer 21 and BAM! ​

 

[Phantom1]

I honestly don't think increasing the age required to legally smoke will actually do anything to solve anything. If anything, it'll only make things worse.​

First off, the color of your text is super hard for me to read.

Secondly, I started smoking when I was twelve. People drink in high school. The 'legal' age doesn't really do anything but make it a bit harder to get.

 

[World King]

Using this font since 2010 xD

Exactly my thoughts; legal ages or nothing like that has ever stopped problems like these. But meh... no one stops them from trying... ​

 

[Ivysaur]

The solution is taxing the hell out of tobacco, not banning it (there are studies that for each extra dollar of taxes, consumption of cigarrettes falls markedly). Banning will only make it become just another mafia-traded illegal drug.

 

[Hands]

If you're old enough to die for your country you're old enough to decide if you want to smoke or not.

 

[gimmepie]

The solution is taxing the hell out of tobacco, not banning it (there are studies that for each extra dollar of taxes, consumption of cigarrettes falls markedly). Banning will only make it become just another mafia-traded illegal drug.

If you're old enough to die for your country you're old enough to decide if you want to smoke or not.

My thoughts on the matter can basically be summed up by these two posts.

 

[Esper]

There are many 18 y/o still in high school. Raising the age limit is about reducing how easily tobacco can get to high school kids who are under 18. Those 18 y/o can buy tobacco products and more easily give/sell/spread them to kids when they're still in school together. That rate goes down if you have to be 21 to buy them legally because 21 y/o and high school age kids are less likely interacted than 18 y/o and other high school age kids.

The solution is taxing the hell out of tobacco, not banning it (there are studies that for each extra dollar of taxes, consumption of cigarrettes falls markedly). Banning will only make it become just another mafia-traded illegal drug.

Even if the extra tax money goes toward tobacco use prevention and/or healthcare, doesn't this put an extra burden on the people who are already addicted to tobacco?

If you're old enough to die for your country you're old enough to decide if you want to smoke or not.

Society has a vested interest in your not smoking though, because it's a potentially preventable burden on our healthcare system when you get cancer that wasn't prevented.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

muh bible jeezus god bless the usa cheezburger
*joins army at 16 and dies at 17* what a hero.

These laws arem't actually followed though, are they? I've not seen one yank teen film where they don't have a beer and shout WOOOOOOOO a lot.

 

[Trev]

Even if the extra tax money goes toward tobacco use prevention and/or healthcare, doesn't this put an extra burden on the people who are already addicted to tobacco?

The point of raising taxes is to get people to stop. If you have to shell out a shitload of money to stop smoking, you're more likely to quit.

That being said, I don't think it'll really do anything. My grandparents buy their own tobacco and roll their own cigarettes, and it costs them about $3 or $4 for the tobacco and $3 for the filters. They can usually make quite a few packs and it ends up being cheaper than just buying them. So even if we did tax the hell out of smoking, there are still cheap ways to get cigarettes. Banning them won't stop people from smoking. In my opinion, the taxing isn't a terrible idea, but if it's put in place with the goal of getting people to quit, it'll fail. If it's put in place with the goal to make extra tax money, it might be moderately successful.

 

[Phantom1]

Using this font since 2010 xD ​

Font is fine. I said color. It's nearly the same color as the background on most styles. I have to highlight it to read it.

 

[Esper]

The point of raising taxes is to get people to stop. If you have to shell out a ****load of money to stop smoking, you're more likely to quit.

That being said, I don't think it'll really do anything. My grandparents buy their own tobacco and roll their own cigarettes, and it costs them about $3 or $4 for the tobacco and $3 for the filters. They can usually make quite a few packs and it ends up being cheaper than just buying them. So even if we did tax the hell out of smoking, there are still cheap ways to get cigarettes. Banning them won't stop people from smoking. In my opinion, the taxing isn't a terrible idea, but if it's put in place with the goal of getting people to quit, it'll fail. If it's put in place with the goal to make extra tax money, it might be moderately successful.

And that's kinda why I don't think it's right to raise the costs, because people will still buy tobacco products thanks to the fact that it's addicting. Raising costs on other kinds of products to keep people from buying them as much can work for other things, but here I think it's just taking money from people who will probably need that money to pay for their medical bills. I'd much rather see heavier restrictions on the sale of tobacco and/or heavier restrictions on the production of it. Let big tobacco suffer the consequences, not the consumer who can't help themselves because of their addiction.

 

[twocows]

I don't generally believe in legislating lifestyle choices. You're legally an adult when you turn 18: you can vote, you can be drafted, you can fight and die in the military, you can work at a job like a police officer or firefighter where you could die on a daily basis, and you can be arrested and tried as an adult for crimes you've committed. Most places already have a smoking ban that applies to public indoor locations and smoking outdoors doesn't really hurt anyone, so I see no problem with the legal age being 18, especially when not many people even do it anymore.

 

[killer-curry]

For me being 18, its still not enough to be an adult. Maybe it just culture difference but the reasons I think tobacco 21 is still a good plan because it increase the awareness for the teenagers to think either taking tobacco is good or not, is it beneficial for them or bad for them.

I know some people maybe smoke at the early age even before 18, probably because either the curious to try or the courage of friends. However, in order to reduce such thing happens, the government should try to make campaign for increasing awareness about smokes among school children. Besides, the school plays an important role for educating students not to smoke and parents as well. Even they are in age of 18, I believe if educated teenagers being out there they know what they can do and what they can't do.

The reason why I said 18 is not enough adult yet, because some teenagers still not yet exposed to the real big world. They still don't know the politics, the economics, and the real issues are happening. I think that rules are still needed to be applied on that age so that the teenage know there's still rules out there and they cannot do the things they simply want to do.

Even without rules of tobacco 21, I believe an age of 18 teenager know what they are doing.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

If all of those cringy PSAs didn't do anything to stop tobacco smoking, then why should raising the legal age?

Really I think the US should just ban smoking tobacco altogether. Not going to get into the obvious personal health issues about it since I feel it would be a bit hypocritical of me to so since I drink regularly, but it does/can negatively impact the health of people who don't partake in smoking, and I'd think that alone would be grounds to make it illegal. But I can't expect that to happen anytime soon--way too much money in the tobacco industry for that to happen.

Alcohol was banned once, which had only caused organized mafia crime throughout the roaring 20's. The same will apply to tobacco smoking if they even plan on banning it.

 

[gimmepie]

For me being 18, its still not enough to be an adult. Maybe it just culture difference but the reasons I think tobacco 21 is still a good plan because it increase the awareness for the teenagers to think either taking tobacco is good or not, is it beneficial for them or bad for them.

I know some people maybe smoke at the early age even before 18, probably because either the curious to try or the courage of friends. However, in order to reduce such thing happens, the government should try to make campaign for increasing awareness about smokes among school children. Besides, the school plays an important role for educating students not to smoke and parents as well. Even they are in age of 18, I believe if educated teenagers being out there they know what they can do and what they can't do.

The reason why I said 18 is not enough adult yet, because some teenagers still not yet exposed to the real big world. They still don't know the politics, the economics, and the real issues are happening. I think that rules are still needed to be applied on that age so that the teenage know there's still rules out there and they cannot do the things they simply want to do.

Even without rules of tobacco 21, I believe an age of 18 teenager know what they are doing.

You have contradicted yourself so many times here I'm really not sure what you think at all.

 

[Desert Stream~]

The solution is taxing the hell out of tobacco, not banning it (there are studies that for each extra dollar of taxes, consumption of cigarrettes falls markedly). Banning will only make it become just another mafia-traded illegal drug.

It's like 10$ for a pack of cigarettes around here, and while I do see people smoking, It's not nearly as bad as other places I've been to.

 

[Nah]

Banning will only make it become just another mafia-traded illegal drug.

Alcohol was banned once, which had only caused organized mafia crime throughout the roaring 20's. The same will apply to tobacco smoking if they even plan on banning it.

True. I had forgotten about that.