NationStates Jolt Archive

The new legal age to buy cigarrettes in New York is 19. It has just changed yesterday from 18. The legal age to buy alcohol may become 25 in soon. This is an attempt to keep high-schoolers from smoking and colledge students from drinking. I think this is all stupid because you're only hurting the ones that were able to buy cigarettes at 18 and are now not, still being 18 years old; the teenagers that are already sold cigarettes illegally will still be able to buy them from the seller.

I'm 16, and I buy cigarettes from a store that everyone my age buys from. He'll sell anything to anyone. What i'm saying is that this new law is only upsetting people (like some friends of mine) that have just turned 18 and now cant legally buy cigarettes. This only leads to more breaking the law. It might only stop teen smoking a tidbit; not by much. All of the smoking friends i know arent effected by this law. It's pointless.

I think the smoking and drinking age should be lowered. Countries with low drinking ages often have more people who drink and teach drinking responsibly, I believe a similiar occurance would happen with smoking, as well. If the subjects were less of a focus than kids who smoke can smoke and kids who don't smoke would feel less pressured to follow in line with the teenage custom.

Since cigarettes have already been proven dangerous to your health, there should be unbuyable, period, unless you've had them before.

Since cigarettes have already been proven dangerous to your health, there should be unbuyable, period, unless you've had them before.
So's driving a car

I think the drinking age shouldn't be chanmged because it only makes people do it because they think that drinking will be cool coz it is illegal. Cigerettes should be destroyed and never sold to anyone.

Hmm. I'm not sure how on-topic this is, exactly, but it's an interesting fact.

A point a lot of young drinkers bring up in a debate is, "If I'm old enough to die for my country, I should be old enough to buy beer."

Psychologists have proven that it takes the mind three years longer to mature than the body. This means that at 18, when one is physically mature, one's mind is not. In reality, one's mind is physically mature at 21.

Personally, I think the legal smoking age should be 21 or higher. Of course, I'm not sure how acurate that study is. I jut heard it from my eighth grade health teacher.

'Course, I'm not sure if authority on the subject can even be given to psychologists. I mean, who can really study the human mind? We can't see into it or even comprehend most of it. How can we really know when one is meantally mature?

Whatever, though. I've never smoked, nor do I plan to. I'm just going to stay away from it, given that there are no positive side-affects.

I think the smoking and drinking age should be lowered. Countries with low drinking ages often have more people who drink and teach drinking responsibly, I believe a similiar occurance would happen with smoking, as well. If the subjects were less of a focus than kids who smoke can smoke and kids who don't smoke would feel less pressured to follow in line with the teenage custom.
Actually, statistics suggest that the US has a lower rate of teen alcoholism, most likely due to their restrictive laws on the age at which you can purchase alcohol.

I'm not sure whether that justifies the policy though, I have to say.

A point a lot of young drinkers bring up in a debate is, "If I'm old enough to die for my country, I should be old enough to buy beer."
Also, old enough to have sex, but not old enough to have a cigarette after it?

The legal age to buy alcohol may become 25 in soon.
What? That's absolutely insane! I think 21 is very high, in my country the legal age is 18.

But 25?? That's a step away from prohibition.

So's driving a car

Driving cars has a justifiable posative potential, though.
Personally, I'm of the opinion that alcohol should be outlawed, and perhaps smoking as well. But that's just me.

adult is adult
the smoking and drinking ages should both be 18
if there is a problem with highschools they should LOWER the graduation age to 17

So's driving a car

But that's neccessary for most people, especially those like me in the country.

Smoking just lowers your health.... slowly and painfully.

With driving you just die quickly in a crash, and its not that common if your good at driving.

I think that cigs should be outlawed. They cause more health problems than just about any other substance, legal or illegal. Pot doesn't even cause the health probs that cigs do. No I am not saying that pot should be legal.

Since cigarettes have already been proven dangerous to your health, there should be unbuyable, period, unless you've had them before.
How about people take responsibility for their own (stupid) actions?

Banning cigarettes would only cause smuggling and gangsterism to skyrocket.

If you guys didn't hear it as a primary source, don't cristize.

I heard a presentation by a New York law-enforcement officer on liver damage when you drink before 25. 25 is when the liver is able to properly cope with liqour, because that is when it is fully developed.

adult is adult
the smoking and drinking ages should both be 18
if there is a problem with highschools they should LOWER the graduation age to 17

Uh, no, what they should do is strengthen enforcement. If kids today are still dumb enough to try these things, obviously they're not being educated properly.

Smoking is a moronic thing to do anyway. Instead of wasting money on cigarettes, which are killing you, why not buy something useful?

The new legal age to buy cigarrettes in New York is 19. It has just changed yesterday from 18. The legal age to buy alcohol may become 25 in soon. This is an attempt to keep high-schoolers from smoking and colledge students from drinking. I think this is all stupid because you're only hurting the ones that were able to buy cigarettes at 18 and are now not, still being 18 years old; the teenagers that are already sold cigarettes illegally will still be able to buy them from the seller.

I'm 16, and I buy cigarettes from a store that everyone my age buys from. He'll sell anything to anyone. What i'm saying is that this new law is only upsetting people (like some friends of mine) that have just turned 18 and now cant legally buy cigarettes. This only leads to more breaking the law. It might only stop teen smoking a tidbit; not by much. All of the smoking friends i know arent effected by this law. It's pointless.
rofl your kidding me? they think increasing it will stop people from buying and drinking/smoking it? wow, maybe they should ban it that will work.

really, how is increasing the age to get it going to stop underage drinking? statistically it would increase it because people who are smoking and drinking will keep on doing it

Smoking is a moronic thing to do anyway. Instead of wasting money on cigarettes, which are killing you, why not buy something useful?

Yeah, I was about to say something along the lines of "if you're 16 and smoking you're obviously no champion, so why would anybody care what the hell you think?" but I got side-tracked :p

Smoking is a moronic thing to do anyway. Instead of wasting money on cigarettes, which are killing you, why not buy something useful?
yeah like buy smoking company stocks, you will make a mint from other idiots..

Smoking! With all the evidence about the dangers of smoking, it never ceases to amaze when I see anyone under the age of 40 smoking.
1.Stop the government subidizing to tobacco farmers(read giant corporations).
2.Create a federal tax of $1.00 a pack and mandate all states charge at least $1 more intax per pack on top of whatever they already charge.
3.Make the butts returnable for cash, say .10 cents to stop litter.
4. No smoking within 100 yards of any building, including the smoker's private residence.
5. Anyone under the age of 18 caught smoking faces automatic 30 days jail and their parent/gaurdian fined $1000.
These five suggestions should put the brakes on new smokers and give incentive for current smokers to quit. If after two years any smokers still exixt in the country, arrest them for drug use and give them a year in jail to quit for good.

I would have just said shoot them on sight. Anyone who is old enough to have started before they knew about the dangers is likely to be near the end of their ropes, anyway, and anyone dumb enough to start now should be erraticated from the gene pool.

yeah like buy smoking company stocks, you will make a mint from other idiots..

Kind of a cynical way to think, but hey, very true.

Uh, no, what they should do is strengthen enforcement. If kids today are still dumb enough to try these things, obviously they're not being educated properly.
strangely enough, even when told the danger of various activities some people still exercise their free will to engage in them. education only goes so far

but i was not talking about KIDS, i was saying treat adults as adults and stop this BS of a tiered adult system. hence having the solution to the 18 year olds buying cigs while still in highschool taken care of by having kids graduate from highschool a year early thus making the number of 18 year olds in highschool equivalent to the number of 19 year olds there now.

stop penalizing adults for the actions of a few.

strangely enough, even when told the danger of various activities some people still exercise their free will to engage in them. education only goes so far

but i was not talking about KIDS, i was saying treat adults as adults and stop this BS of a tiered adult system. hence having the solution to the 18 year olds buying cigs while still in highschool taken care of by having kids graduate from highschool a year early thus making the number of 18 year olds in highschool equivalent to the number of 19 year olds there now.

stop penalizing adults for the actions of a few.

By "education" I meant strict enforcement, not sit them down and have a little chat. And most of that was in response to your "if they're having a problem in schools then lower the graduation age to 17" comment, which was just rediculous.

The fact that alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, LSD, acid, and namely every other drug is illegal has not stopped me or any of the other teenagers I know from getting it.

I'm going to intrude here as the older adult voice being the well honored, seasoned age of 53 (almost 54). I can't counsel on drinking, as I don't drink. I do have a bunch of surgical metal in my legs from a wreck with a drunk driver so my experience with drinking is not too good. Growing up in the 60's when drugs made their stunning debut, all I can say to drug users is, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR EVER LOVING MIND???

I do, however, smoke and have since I was 16. Quitting is easy, I've done it at least a hundred times. I just wish that the information we have now was available then. I also wish that the first time someone saw me pick up a cigarette they had smacked me in the back of the head...really really hard. As a smoker with a really expensive habit that makes my clothes, hair, house, and car stink, who is starting to get that nasty phlemmy cough, who battles at least 3 or 4 sinus and ear infections a year, who has ruined way too many clothes with burn marks, and who would rather gain 20 pounds if I could never pick up a cigarette again, I ask you, I beg you, please don't smoke. I would love to wake up, take a really deep breath, and not have my mouth taste like a litter box. It doesn't make you look cool or grown up...it makes you look like a fool. If you don't smoke, don't start. If you do, quit.

I think all "recreational" drugs (besides heroin and maybe cocaine) should be legalized and taxed. The legal age to use any drug should be 18 as I am considered a responsible adult in every other way (according to the government).

Reasons

1. In a capitalist society if you want something you should be able to get it.

2. If you are dumb enough to do a drug, specifically one that will kill you, that's your own damn fault.

3. The government would stop spending money that I would use to buy weed on telling me not to smoke weed when I'm going to anyway.


And lastly a quote, directed at Zooke and any other anti-drug person.

"If you don't believe drugs are a good thing, then you should go get all of your cds, all your books, all your tapes together and burn them. Why? Because all those musicians, all those people who's music has touched your lives and made a difference......were really fucking high on drugs!" - Bill Hicks

The fact that alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, LSD, acid, and namely every other drug is illegal has not stopped me or any of the other teenagers I know from getting it.

Like I said, they need better enforcement. If they started shooting potheads, I'll bet you'd think twice about it, wouldn't you? ;)

Sice we were talking about somoking, I thought I might show this:
Cigarette Wreath for 105-year-old Smoker --- British nursing home honors passing of 15-a-day resident (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6717452/)

But going on...
I smoke and dip and I am under-age. I'm not going to say how far, because it may be shocking to some. Why do I? I dunno. I wasn't pressured or anything- it was my choice. I can't do it regularly because of my parents, but I do it with my friends and cousin. It's easy to get here in Tennessee. And no, I'm not a hillbilly, but some may call me a hi-tech redneck.

Like I said, they need better enforcement. If they started shooting potheads, I'll bet you'd think twice about it, wouldn't you? ;)

No, but I would be even MORE paranoid.

Has anyone mentioned the idea of taking personal responsibility for your actions?

If you decide the government knows better than you...well then you have yourselves to blame for the beauracracy.

As an adult I have the right to manage my own life. I will smoke if I want to, drink if I want to, smoke weed if I want to, or shoot heroin if I want to. As long as I do not harm anyone else, you have no right to tell me what to do with my life. Least of all does the government have that right.

Prohibition DOES NOT WORK. Anyone who thinks that the raising of the drinking age to 21 has cut down on underage drinking is a fool.

Has anyone mentioned the idea of taking personal responsibility for your actions?


Chodolo, my dear compatriot in support of personal freedom and responsibility, these ideas are generally ignored in our society. 'Responsibility? That's only something for others, not me' seems to be the mantra of the day. Right up there with 'kill 'em all, the damned hippies!'

I'm melting! I'm melting! What a world!
- last thing heard by the wicked witch. People thought it was because she got wet, but she had just dropped ten hits of killer microdot. Why do you think she was so wicked?

As far as I’m concerned the choice to smoke is up to the individual. Anti-drug and smoking messages have been hammered into children from as soon as they can understand them. Changing the age at which it is legal is going to make very little difference, as there are always people who look older than they are, or know a friend of a friend that can get them anything.

If people feel a need to reduce the amount of people smoking (and face the government having much less fag tax) they just need to spend more time showing how bad smoking is.

I am 23 years old, I smoke and I drink. Obviously I smoke more than I drink, and have been doing both since I was at least 15. My thought on the situation is this, never once have I ever crawled behind the wheel of a car drunk, nor have I ever been involved in a drunken fight, I go out, I get liquored up, I have a good time, I go home and pass out. The general rule of thumb I go by is the more I drink at one time, the longer I go before I drink again. As far as smoking goes, as I stated, I started smoking around the age of 15, and by the time I reached 18 I quit, it was just sort of a rebellious thing, but I eventually lost interest and quit. Then one day I started seeing ads for organizations such as truth.com and the fact that cigarette manufacturers were not allowed advertisements on t.v., but these Nazi’s could come out and say whatever the hell they wanted pissed me off, so I went out, bought a pack of Camel non filters, and lit up. However, never at any point did I ever push the idea of smoking on anyone else, nor did I ever pressure anyone else into smoking, or provide cigarettes for anyone under the legal age once I had reached it, yet with all the changes to the laws I still see just as many young kids with booze and smokes. No matter what age the legal age is changed to, the products will still be available somewhere for kids determined enough to get them. On the issue of kids who are 18 and have already started smoking, and now have to wait until they are 19…smoking is one of the few things that makes me happy, I am a very non aggressive person, but I swear if anyone attempted to take my cigarettes away, I would break into their homes, beat up their children and take my cigarettes back, then walk outside, set there home on fire and light up a smoke from the blazing inferno that was their house.

No, but I would be even MORE paranoid.

If you're that thick, you need to be shot. ;)

Ahh youth. Legal age for cigarettes was 16 (35 cent a pack, 50 cents in machines) and 18 for drinking way back in the mid seventies in NY, back when such things mattered to me. Teen smoking and drinking HAS gone down since then, but I seriously doubt that the age increase has had that big an effect. The drop probably has a lot more to do with public attitudes and education.
Being shit-faced even DWI was still considered funny back then - remember the comedian Foster Brooks and his drunk act or the charcter of Otis the town drunk on Andy Griffith? Kind of makes you wonder just how the hell drunk was Bush to get a DWI in the seventies? I remember the police giving my father rides home after they pulled him over completely plowed, and he never got a DWI, and my family is not what one would call influential. As for smoking, there wasn't even any such thing as a non-smoking section in a restaurant. They only had them in movie theatres so you wouldn't have clouds of smoke rising in front of the projector. That's right movie theaters, you used to be able to smoke in movie theaters... in banks, on public transportation, at work, anywhere you wanted - smoke 'em if you got 'em.
It was truly a different world.

Anyway, enough reminiscence, I don't think cranking up the ages on this stuff has any real beneficial effect. It just encourages people to skirt the law and fosters contempt for law enforcement.

19? 25? Seriously, most of the smokers I know started between 11 and 15 [UK legal age is 16] and Most people I know stared drinking regularly at about 15-16 [legal being 18].

I don't smoke and don't particularly like it but would it really work?

The alcohol one seems even more ludicrous, even if it does have medical reasons...