Do you support the push to raise the legal age for smoking in the US?

[SarahsSummer]

The current legal age to buy cigarettes is 18 in the US. Do you think that should change?

I smoke and don't think they should raise the age

I don't smoke and think they should raise the age

I don't smoke but don't think they should raise the age.

I smoke and think they should raise the age.

I am just a bystander in life and have no opinion

[Mekkalyn]

Well, I don't understand the logic behind the ages to begin with.

At 18 you are legally an adult. You can smoke and join the army if you wish. But you cannot drink. Which implies that you are not capable of making smart/capable decisions for yourself, so should you really be considered an adult?

I, personally, don't think anyone is really ready to be an adult at 18. Most people JUST graduated when they turn 18. They have 0 life experiences and they are being thrown out by themselves, legally. If there parents don't want to help them, they aren't legally made to anymore, and honestly most 18 year olds are not ready for that kind of responsibility.

I think you shouldn't be able to do any of those things I mentioned until you are 21. I think that is a better age. You get a few years of life experiences and your parents will still help you out (most do, anyways, but this way it's legal). Most people will transition to college and get the type of experience they need to make their own decisions, and then when they are 21 they are able to 100% be on their own.

That's just my opinion, though.

So, to make this more relevant, I do support pushing the age of smoking up, because it's one step closer to my ideal! :)

[Mekkalyn]

You can also vote at 18, I wanted to add that to my second paragraph but forgot before I pressed submit.

[CheerGirl38139]

I would say its probably a good idea to raise the age.

I've never bought tobacco so I don't know... but it's so easy to get a fake ID for 21 in college when you're 18-20... I would think it's easy to do the same for tobacco when you're 15 or 16.

On the other hand, I would also think that it's super easy for a 16yo to get their hands on cigarettes anyway, so I'm not sure how much it would help. But I see no down side to raising the minimum age.

[CheerGirl38139]

aww thanks for MHO.

[SarahsSummer]

I've never bought cigarettes either but if it slows down even a small percentage of kids from starting, it's done its job. like you said, I see no harm in raising it.

[Northeast106]

I think it should be 21, just like alcohol. Teenagers in all honesty do not make the smartest life choices. Once your addicted, it's much harder to quit, so not only can a teenager unknowingly make their entire life more difficult, unhealthy, and complicated, but doing so also has an effect on the entire country. The heart disease, lung cancer, and other health problems that are self induced by smoking add to our collective medical costs in any country. People should try their best to keep themselves healthy and out of the hospital, not trying to land themselves in there. You're taking away medical resources and personnel because you decided to be a dumbass for 40 years of your life, and smoke 1 pack a day.

[SarahsSummer]

Well said.

[Northeast106]

@asker thank you.

[93stepsawayfromhome]

Voted C. Cigarettes are a drug like any other, and I'm for soft drugs legalisation, so I don't think the legal age should be higher either. It solves nothing. Don't get me wrong, I fucking hate smoking, I can't stand it, but if people want to destroy their bodies *privately* they should be able to do that.

[93stepsawayfromhome]

Legal alcohol age is sixteen here, by the way.

[Azara]

yeah people are still growing pAT 18. SOME TALLER BUT ALL OF US ARE CONTINUING TO HAVE GROWTH SPURTS IN TERMS OF BONE DNSITY. CIGARETTES SCEREW UP BODY CHEMISTRY AND CAN LEAD TO OSTEOPOROSIS LATER IN LIFE. BOURBONS CAN NOT GET SANY STRONGER AFTER LATE TWENTIES. ALSO OR BRAINS ARE SUPPOSEDLY NOT FINISHED DEVELOPING. I THINK ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES SHOULD BE ILLEGAL UNTIL AGE 25. DECISIONS TOP DAMAGE YOUR LUNGS HEART KLIVER BONES SHOULD BE MADE WHEN MATURE ENOUGH TO MAKE THEM, ESPECIALLY BC YOU CAN GET ADDICTED BEFORE HAVING THE PIECE OF MIND TO MAKE UP YOUR MIUND. I KNOW NBO ONE WILL AGREE.. THATS OK ';-)

sorry about the caps. my computer does that sometimes. not intended for emphasis.

[nakedalligator]

I don't think you should raise the age, they are adults at that age, it's already strange how high your drinking age is. If too many people are smoking then they should be better educated not further controlled, most people start smoking before they are allowed to smoke anyways, raising the age won't change anything, if anything more people will just buy illegal cigarettes, which are worse for you.

[Anonymous]

As a former smoker I can honestly say it's a good idea to raise the age for smoking.
Today's youth is impressionable and it's one reason why you see so many of them drinking underage.
I quit cold turkey a few years ago, it's the best thing I ever did next to living a healthier lifestyle and going to the gym.

[matheus_mb]

Let's ban cigarettes, it's a better idea! Better for everyone's lungs :D

[TheSpartan]

And tell people what to put in their own bodies?

That's fucking disgusting.

[matheus_mb]

@TheSpartan I said that because I don't like people smoking near me, I don't really mean it... this would create another problem: illegal cigarettes trafficking.

[teawrecks]

What's the point though? Kids under 18 are still finding ways to smoke with 18 being the legal age, so they'll continue to find ways. It changes literally nothing.

[SarahsSummer]

If it slows down even a small percentage of people from taking their first smoke, society will have that many fewer addicts which in turn helps us all.

[teawrecks]

I doubt it will have that big of an impact. If someone is curious about smoking, they're going to smoke. They're going to find a way to smoke, legal age or not.

[SarahsSummer]

And what harm is it to raise the age limit?

[teawrecks]

I didn't say there was a harm, I said it would be pointless.

[SarahsSummer]

Oh, so you are not against it?

[teawrecks]

I'm indifferent to it. Raising it or keeping it the same will have zero effect on the majority of society.

[SarahsSummer]

I disagree. I think it can only have a positive effect, possibly minuscule, but positive non the less.

[Anonymous]

Here watch the first 10 min, it will tell you some myth you might still believe about smoking. is actually a really interesting show

https://gorillavid.in/2914s730zxcm

[SarahsSummer]

This information is over 12 years old. Has had zero effect on NYC restaurants AND was admitted by Penn and Teller to be faulty. Because second hand smoke does in fact cause innocent people to get cancer.

[Quacken]

No second hand smoke cannot give you cancer. I dont smoke but ill be the first to admit second hand smoke does not caise damage like that unless you are locked in a room woth 50 people smoking 24, 7 for 10 years straight

[Entity]

young people are too stupid to make decisions with their health. We won't let them sign up for 20 credits but they can smoke? Really?

[Quacken]

But they canjoin the military and go fight. If there too stupid for to make decisions about their health then theyre too stupid to get a gun

[Entity]

@Quacken Then instead of demanding that we lower the age of stupid decisions let's raise the age of joining the military. Or does that displease you because that would be the best course of action but leave us with fewer soldiers?

These arguments are tired and old; it is not better to let people have more stupid options than it is to reduce them no matter what the option spread is. Why do people think otherwise?

[ElizabethBiersack]

I don't smoke but they shouldn't raise the age. They are goona smoke anyway, might as well just let them buy it themselves

[Red_Arrow]

I think it should be 99. then they can go ahead and get cancer and they can stink up the cancer wing of the nursing home.

[Quacken]

I dont think they should raise it at all so you can join the military abd get a gun and get shot at but you can't smoke. No i dont agree with that

[AzureGirl]

Raised or not they're going to find ways to get it underage anyway so there's not much point.

[annoyymouse]

I am not a fan of cigarettes by any means, but at 18 you should be able to decide for yourself what you do or don't put into your body.

[Do_It_with_Spam]

i completely agree with you lets stop taking way peoples freedoms

[apple24]

I am just a bystander in life and have no opinion HAHHAHAH! ohhhh

[SarahsSummer]

Your parents must be proud.

[apple24]

nah they hate me!

[pooper89]

Like that is going to prevent kids from getting access to cigarettes.

[I_am_repulsive]

I don't smoke, but kids will always find a way to buy or smoke them joint

[dudeman]

would would any substance be illegal for a grown adult?

[TheSpartan]

I don't smoke, and I think the smoking age should be decreased or abolished completely.

[SarahsSummer]

And why do you feel that way?

[TheSpartan]

The government has no right to regulate the sale of substances individuals put in their own bodies. The charter that is government was founded with one goal: to secure and protect individual liberties. Prohibition does not fall under that charter.

[chrisbigman]

I would support the push to ban smoking in general. Like prohibition.

[jakeofalltrades]

i think they should raise it to eighteen and lower the drinking and gambling age down to eighteen

[ChocoLada]

I think they should raise the age to 25