*DEBATE* Should the age of being allowed to buy cigarettes be raised from 16 to 18

[c0stah]

that makes no sence, ice-t isnt harmful to ur health. they should be banned all together. but obviously tha wodnt happen, people only smoke and carry on smokin coz there 2 weak to give up.

[brodeo]

Yeh but I used to see these older schoolkids pass their cigarettes to the younger schoolkids to try, and then they got hooked too. I had to suffer 4 years of breathing in the horrid muck everytime I went on the school bus to go to and from school. Your right about what you say but there never was the same problem in the earlier school I went to. Surely then they would have got hold of the cigarettes as well but I never saw anyone with them in middle school.

This has nothing to do with the debate but i bet they don't force the ciggarettes down their throats? There's always the option to say no, you may say peer pressure, but if your freinds were true freinds you wouldn't feel pressuirsed anyway. Just walk away. Nobody forces them, they wish to try, let them.

[FlyingJesus]

I didn't mean that iced tea was harmful, my point had nothing to do with iced tea really. What I've been trying to get across throughout most of this thread (after I got onto it) is that smoking is now part of the economy, and stopping it will have effects on the country as a whole, as in - less money. England's already losing money rapidly due to war and import, we literally cannot afford to lose more by taking away a heavily taxed commodity. It's nothing to do with whether people like it or not, I know I certainly don't like it, it's simply the fact that it would be too damaging to the country to take it away.

[Polly-alyssa]

Ciggys shudnt be sold at all init

[FlyingJesus]

I don't know if that was supposed to be funny or something, but to me that post just shows the ignorance of the people in this country.

[ilovejordan]

I think it shouldn't no because there would be absoloutly no point whatsoever, My brother is 16 & he's been smoking since he was at least 14 how he got those ciggarrettes i dont know but he managed and i'm sure its the same for other people. If it is raised it isn't really "protecting teenagers" because of passive smoking as well. I basically think smokin should be banned altogether.

[Kerreh]

It's higher here in NZ anyway I think..
But of course it should be. What you've gotta think about though is would it make any difference? 18 year olds aren't necessarily any more responsible than 16 year olds, the two year age difference will not change anything in the context of what they do with the cigarettes. It's not hard for younger people to get hold of them anyway..

[RedStratocas]

I think it shouldn't no because there would be absoloutly no point whatsoever, My brother is 16 & he's been smoking since he was at least 14 how he got those ciggarrettes i dont know but he managed and i'm sure its the same for other people. If it is raised it isn't really "protecting teenagers" because of passive smoking as well. I basically think smokin should be banned altogether.

That is EXACTLY the reason the drinking age in the US was raised (from 18 to 21). I might have said this on the forum before, but its because its easier for high school kids to get a hold of it. There are many 18 year olds in high school, so they can buy it, and pass it on to younger kids. Also, a lot of kids can pass as 18. Now that its at 21, kids in high school can't get it that easily.

I disagree with the smoking thing however. People should do what they please as long as it doesnt hurt anyone. It should be banned from resteraunts because its inconsiderate, but if not all together

[YellowParasol]

Smoking should be banned full stop..

[FlyingJesus]

The ban in pubs, restaurants etc. is coming into action soon, which helps with the whole "I don't like smokers near me" factor of this argument. I still don't think that stopping smoking completely is a good idea, for reasons that I've posted time and time again on this thread.