"The age at which youngsters can legally buy cigarettes could be raised from 16 to 18 under smoking ban proposals outlined yesterday.
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt launched a consultation on increasing the age-limit in December to bring the law on selling cigarettes to children in line with that on alcohol." (source NTLWorld News)
This is the best thing this Government has done to date. Stopping selling the kids cigarettes from shops and stores is that one stage closer to improving the health of the nation. But what about helping those kids who are already hooked. Just banning the sale may drive the kids to stealing or obtaining the cigarettes elsewhere.
How many Frihosters out there, under 18 smoke? Would this ban make you give it up? Interested in your comments.
In which country? In Singapore, it's already 18.
No, and smoking is bad for my health, I do not smoke at all.
| n0obie4life wrote: |
In which country? In Singapore, it's already 18.
No, and smoking is bad for my health, I do not smoke at all. |
Same in India. It is already 18.
btw, i do not smoke and i'm not under 18. I'm 23.Wow, it never occured to me that there are countries with no age limit for smoking. Has always been 18 i think in Malaysia, not that kids can't find ways to get it though.
man, it does not matters to smokers- they will smoke at 14 if they want to.
The age limit 16 to 18 is being imposed in the UK. Sounds like once again we are miles behind everyone else.
it think it's effective ... no matter that you stop smoking or not but it will change the mind of the under 18 who do not smoke ...
Yes, but it will at least make it a little harder for young kids to get hold of cigarettes. Its much more likely that they will be ID'd for looking under 18 than under 16.
I think this is a genuinely good idea. I started smoking at 14 (Im 25 now) and I know that turning 16 and being alble to legally buy fags was a rite of passage - being able to buy cigs at 14 because you looked older helped with the ladies in my teenage world in the mid nineties..
I think it right that kids shouldnt be able to buy cigarettes until age 18 - i started young and am still hooked - i know if it was nearly impossible to get fags at a young age I never would have started 
The more you make something illegal, the more appealing it is to do whatever you're making illegal...
Fight the power, maaaaan. Make it illegal, keep handing out tickets, but people WILL fall through the cracks, it's inevitable. Let them kill themselves. Every cigarette takes 7 minutes off of your life.
| manumiglani wrote: |
| man, it does not matters to smokers- they will smoke at 14 if they want to. |
True. If someone wants it, they will find a way get it. But it would also be harder to to obtain cigarettes, so it may discourage some people.Hmm its 18 here in US as far as I know. And you have to look 35 or they card ya. LOL
| Marston wrote: |
The more you make something illegal, the more appealing it is to do whatever you're making illegal...
Fight the power, maaaaan. |
Even if they ban smokers out of the streets, make you smoke your $200 cigarettes wearing a spacesuit in a bunker somewhere located on Antarctica there will be still people smoking.
Making it more illegal is indeed not a good way to get people not starting to smoke. I think having pictures of what smoking can do to you on the package is more effective.. I think that if you want to ban smoking you have to educate people before they start on the why it is so bad.
To be honest I am quite a heavy smoker myself and even I, or especially me, think that you have to inform people before they start smoking. Just give education on schools on smoking like they do for preventing people from using drugs or like they give sexual education to children on schools.
Anyone in favor for this? Or do you see a downside?
Regards.mj_loc_nl, I think you have hit the nail on the head. Education is the most positive way of stopping people incl. kids from smoking. Stopping under 18s from buying ciggies by itself will have little effect.
One only has to look at under 18s drinking alcohol, does the law stop them from drinking and getting into clubs, NO no way. So why would a ban on under 18s from smoking stop them either.
We have a 18-year-old smoking limit in Taiwan now.
Yeah, the limit's always been 18 years old in Australia, and they usually request ID if you look under 25.
there are always shops that sell to underage and there are always older people who are willing to buy cigarettes for young people.
I personally hate them and believe that they should be banned entirely. But i will be happy when in Australia they are just banned from being smoked in public places. Why should everyone else suffer due to smokers?
yeah by making something more illegal it is more appealing to want to do, cuz we have the tendency to want to do something we arent supposed to. Honestly, how many people listened to everything their parents told them when they were younger? at one point or another we have all defied authority in some way.
I thought that the smoking age in United States of America was eighteen, but you say they could buy them when they were sixteen. wow that was dumb.
