3/4 of Americans favor raising smoking age to 21

[DGS49]

The practice of smoking is gradually dying out as it becomes socially unacceptable in more and more circles. Right now the vast majority of smokers are poor and uneducated, and yet they pay the exorbitant prices of cigarettes.

The argument in favor of raising the legal age is that kids between 16-18 are not mature enough to make the decision to smoke, and are likely to be induced to try it by peer pressure. Yet once they start smoking and become addicted, getting off The Weed is difficult.

And yet perversely, we have a lot of Americans who depend on cigarette smoking. Tobacco farmers and people working in the industry, as well as the beneficiaries of smoking tax revenues.

I personally think that doing stupid, self-destructive stuff is one of the "unalienable rights" mentioned in the Declaration of Independence and referenced in the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution. And this is why I ride a motorcycle, which makes me 27 times more likely to get killed in a traffic accident than my car-driving alter ego.

There are some "sins" that provide their own punishment. If you drive a Ford F-250, you have to pay a shitload more in gas taxes than everyone else. If you smoke, you are likely to die a horrible early death. Call it justice, and leave it alone. Let the little fukkers smoke themselves blind. They'll wise up eventually. Or not.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

The practice of smoking is gradually dying out as it becomes socially unacceptable in more and more circles. Right now the vast majority of smokers are poor and uneducated, and yet they pay the exorbitant prices of cigarettes.

The argument in favor of raising the legal age is that kids between 16-18 are not mature enough to make the decision to smoke, and are likely to be induced to try it by peer pressure. Yet once they start smoking and become addicted, getting off The Weed is difficult.

And yet perversely, we have a lot of Americans who depend on cigarette smoking. Tobacco farmers and people working in the industry, as well as the beneficiaries of smoking tax revenues.

I personally think that doing stupid, self-destructive stuff is one of the "unalienable rights" mentioned in the Declaration of Independence and referenced in the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution. And this is why I ride a motorcycle, which makes me 27 times more likely to get killed in a traffic accident than my car-driving alter ego.

There are some "sins" that provide their own punishment. If you drive a Ford F-250, you have to pay a shitload more in gas taxes than everyone else. If you smoke, you are likely to die a horrible early death. Call it justice, and leave it alone. Let the little fukkers smoke themselves blind. They'll wise up eventually. Or not.

Impression that smokers are less educated and poor comes largely from how smoking in public has been washed off of tv. Most politicians smoke, most celebrities smoke, most tv programs showing people smoke aren't allowed to any more.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Boehner smokes 5 packs a day. His skin isn't orange from tanning.

 

[House]

Three out of four Americans favor raising smoking age to 21 study says

So, studies say that youth cigarette use drops during the last years. Logically, raising the minimum age to buy tobacco products could further reduce youth smoking rates. What do you think? Do you support the policy of such restrictions on tobacco sales? Would the nation be less addictive to toxic smoke?

If I want to smoke, I want to smoke. The governments should do their work and stop interfering in people´s privacy.

Smoking is such an ugly smelly habit.

Know what else is ugly and stinks?

Canned tuna, sardines, clams, and oysters. Pickled pigs feet. Chitlins.

Can we outlaw those, too?

 

[ogibillm]

i'd accept a raise in age to 19. get it out of the hands of high school kids (yes, prohibition isn't 100% effective) and you'll see rates drop even faster.

 

[House]

i'd accept a raise in age to 19. get it out of the hands of high school kids (yes, prohibition isn't 100% effective) and you'll see rates drop even faster.

That's a crock.

Kids are typically out of school at 17, except for those that failed a grade. If they can fail once (unlikely in today's society!), they can fail more than once.

Then you'd be crying about pushing the age to 20.

 

[NoNukes]

Three out of four Americans favor raising smoking age to 21 study says

So, studies say that youth cigarette use drops during the last years. Logically, raising the minimum age to buy tobacco products could further reduce youth smoking rates. What do you think? Do you support the policy of such restrictions on tobacco sales? Would the nation be less addictive to toxic smoke?

If kids want to smoke, they are going to smoke.

 

[ogibillm]

i'd accept a raise in age to 19. get it out of the hands of high school kids (yes, prohibition isn't 100% effective) and you'll see rates drop even faster.

That's a crock.

Kids are typically out of school at 17, except for those that failed a grade. If they can fail once (unlikely in today's society!), they can fail more than once.

Then you'd be crying about pushing the age to 20.

in what world are kids typically out of high school at age 17? not in the US, that's for sure.

 

[House]

i'd accept a raise in age to 19. get it out of the hands of high school kids (yes, prohibition isn't 100% effective) and you'll see rates drop even faster.

That's a crock.

Kids are typically out of school at 17, except for those that failed a grade. If they can fail once (unlikely in today's society!), they can fail more than once.

Then you'd be crying about pushing the age to 20.

in what world are kids typically out of high school at age 17? not in the US, that's for sure.

I was, as was the large majority of my class.

 

[ogibillm]

i'd accept a raise in age to 19. get it out of the hands of high school kids (yes, prohibition isn't 100% effective) and you'll see rates drop even faster.

That's a crock.

Kids are typically out of school at 17, except for those that failed a grade. If they can fail once (unlikely in today's society!), they can fail more than once.

Then you'd be crying about pushing the age to 20.

in what world are kids typically out of high school at age 17? not in the US, that's for sure.

I was, as was the large majority of my class.

well i guess i don't know where you went to school, but in missouri kid aren't eligible to enter kindergarten unless they turn 5 by August 1 of the school year. that means a child will be 18 when they graduate high school unless they were born between the middle of may and august.

so were most of your classmates born during those 75 or so days?

 

[House]

i'd accept a raise in age to 19. get it out of the hands of high school kids (yes, prohibition isn't 100% effective) and you'll see rates drop even faster.

That's a crock.

Kids are typically out of school at 17, except for those that failed a grade. If they can fail once (unlikely in today's society!), they can fail more than once.

Then you'd be crying about pushing the age to 20.

in what world are kids typically out of high school at age 17? not in the US, that's for sure.

I was, as was the large majority of my class.

well i guess i don't know where you went to school, but in missouri kid aren't eligible to enter kindergarten unless they turn 5 by August 1 of the school year. that means a child will be 18 when they graduate high school unless they were born between the middle of may and august.

so were most of your classmates born during those 75 or so days?

idk, didn't go to kindergarten.

 

[quorthon]

If kids want to smoke, they are going to smoke.

So it would change nothing even in the future? I doubt that, I think it'd be a good beginning of fight against the poisonous smoke.