Smoking Age?

[tasoli]

What better way to introduce myself to the community than to stir up some trouble? PLEASE supply a reason for your vote!
Note: This has nothing to do with Hero's Hall, I just enjoy debates

Here's my little question I'd like to pose to everyone, but first some groundrules.
1) Don't flame other posters, quotes are okay as long as the quote is relevant to your arguement. We've all got opinions so let's not criticize another because his/hers is different than yours.
2) Try to keep it on topic, if you relate your arguement to something tie it back to your main idea, like an essay for school.

Other than that, have at it!

I believe that the smoking age should be bumped to 21. For some reason our government has seemingly arbitrarily decided that at 18 we are adults and are capable of making our own decisions, yet at 18 in America we are all subject to a great amount of Peer Pressure. I'm 17 myself, and I know I've been unsuccessfullly pressured into doing lots of things.

Smoking is a nasty habbit that (generally) stays with you your whole life. It's hard to quit and it's expensive. In recent years it's been outlawed in many places, including bars, and is beginning to be frowned upon by society. I think that at 18 one is too impressionable to make decisions on their own. If at 18 we are given the right to buy cigarettes, we're much more likely to at least try them, and unlike other controlled substances (namely alcohol and marijuanna) smoking is much harder to just try once.

Furthermore, if you're legally allowed to try cigarettes you've got that much more incentive to go for a puff. I mean, a big reason a lot of people try to stay away from pot is because it's illegal, and if smoking were illegal until say 21, I think it would deter enough people to make a difference. In my opinion, 21 is a more mature age where you're around a crowd with less peer-pressure influence.

Then again, I could be mislead by my interpretations of the age since I'm only 17, but these are only my feelings on the matter.

My vote is OLDER

 

[Sherri_CinVin]

I voted older

Here in Canada you have to be 19 to buy cig's, there is also a fine
for anyone caught buying cig's for people under 19, but that doesn't happen
very often as its too hard to catch them.

There is a huge fine to stores for selling cig's to underage kids.

I wish this law was in effect when I was younger

 

[Diem]

I voted 18. I also think the drinking age should be taken down to 18. I'd be for increasing the smoking age to 21 no problem (In New Jersey it was recently raised to 19), but until they increase the draft to 21... If your country can draft you against your will to fight (which is fine) you should be able to smoke or buy alcohol is my logic, though people with Military IDs sometimes get served regardless of age...

I'm 25 and I started smoking at 22 in college, so an age increase would not have mattered in my case...

I dunno. I think by taking the alcohol age down at least it would not be as daring and such and not such a huge thing to do in college. Who knows maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Valo]

in england, smoking is 16 and drinking is 18. didnt do me any harm because I dont and never have smoked or even tried one.
I dont drink very much, only a few tiems a year.
I believe that its not my place to say how old you have to be before you can drink or smoke, if you do it in your own home then it should be 16+ for anything. If you smoke in public places then you should be banned from them since you ARE harming other peoples health.

I vote 16+ for anything that you can legally do at present over 25, but only in your own home. Ban smoking in all public places except maybe clearly marked smoking areas(like pubs)

 

[Frozz]

I have no problem with the smoking age of 18, primarily because those who want to smoke are going to smoke whenever they work up the courage to break the law. Changing the smoking age to 21, 31 or 71 isn't going to give our children the sense to avoid cigarettes, but instead, if they have an inclination to smoke, they are going to find a way to acquire them regardless of the law.

Does the drinking age stop the majority of high school students from becoming alchoholics by the time they are 18? Not from what I recall of high school.

It comes down to the parents instilling enough wisdom and discernment into their children's minds to make good decisions. I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, while most of my friends in high school smoked like chimneys. I never drank when I was underage because I had no inclination to do so, and today, while I do drink, I drink with moderation.

Lastly, I am an avid cigar smoker who cannot stand the government forcing privately owned restaurants and other establishments to prohibit smoking. If you don't like smoke, don't enter an establishment where you will encounter smoke.

Cheers!

Frozz

 

[Diem]

Froz and Valo. I completely agree.

 

[Silver001]

The problem is not the law: it could be 50-years old or 12-years old to buy cigarettes. The truth is people who want to smoke will at any age, be it 12 or 50. Underage people get cigarettes all the time! There is always someone willing to buy for them. And furthermore, everyone and I mean EVERYONE knows the risks and consequences of smoking, from the coughing to the cancer. Everyone is going to die eventually, you just choose which way you want to go.

 

[frostydf2]

I think I would have to disagree with keeping it at 18. At 18 you're not mature enough in my eyes to be making that choice. However, I may be wrong. Just my opinon

 

[Silver001]

Frostedflakes, I was trying to say most* people start smoking before they ever hit the age of 18. Therefore buying them illegally until 21 is no different than buying them illegally until 18. Also, if you are old enough to be arrested and placed in jail at the age of 18 then you are more than capable of deciding if you want cancer sticks or not.

 

[frostydf2]

Originally posted by Silver001@Apr 19 2006, 11:34 PM
Frostedflakes, I was trying to say most* people start smoking before they ever hit the age of 18. Therefore buying them illegally until 21 is no different than buying them illegally until 18. Also, if you are old enough to be arrested and placed in jail at the age of 18 then you are more than capable of deciding if you want cancer sticks or not.

I guess I read that wrong. I do however agree with you now mister Silver.