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

[Pancrate]

Yes most surely they should
Infact they should ban smoking
forever you see why is the worlds
population going down because of war
and **** i say just ban it

[FlyingJesus]

To be honest it's good in a way that the world population of humans is going down.. we're overpopulated. I hardly think cigarettes are the main cause of death though.

[Desjardens]

Smoking should be banned, no questions asked

[FlyingJesus]

That's not really a debate answer.. that's just an opinion, with no backup at all.

[Throne Sofa]

Guys the worlds population is going down RAPIDLY.

Anyway smoking should be allowed if the parents allow it.

[uh huh her]

What i dont understand is Smoking (Which has more life threatening impact than drinking) is leagalised at a younger age. Its just stupidity. I think that you should have to be 18 to buy cigarettes, and maybe a younger age for buying alcohol? (I understand how Alcohol is at 18 because it changes your behaviour if you drink to much).

[bubble79]

I think that the somking age should not be raised to 18, because, young people very rarely listen to the age limits of thingas like this, and so, in some ways, it is going to happen the other way and people are just going to see if they can get away with it more if you had to be older to do it. However I do think that you should have to always show ID to buy cigarettes if you look anything under 21, because at most shops people don't ask for ID even when the people clearly only look about 16. To discourage smoking, in my opinion, there should be an awareness campaign, with celebrites, rather than an age raise, because our generation seem to be far more influenced by celebrites than rules, so people would be les likely to start smoking if an 'uncool' image was attached to it.

[Colourful™]

I definately think that the minimun age of being able to buy cigarettes should rise from 16-18. I think that they should also rise the price of packs so that people will get more and more put off about it and may hopefully want to stop smoking. Why smoke when you can live longer?

[micky.blue.eyes]

I don't think it should be raised to 18, I'm a non-smoker and I hate the smell of cigarettes, but raising it to 18 will only cause more troubles, people under 18 will get their cigarettes anyway from some older weirdo's. I think they should raise the price and make the price equall in many counties, at least in whole europe, because in Luxemburg, cigarettes are very very cheap compared to some other countries (so are alcoholic drinks and petroil), if the prices are the same, people won't travel to get them cheap (less pollution :p) and higher prices will make less people buy it than an minimum age.

[FlyingJesus]

"and maybe a younger age for buying alcohol? (I understand how Alcohol is at 18 because it changes your behaviour if you drink to much)."

Well you just contradicted yourself quite royally there..

Listen, people. Smoking may well be harmful, and many people don't like it, but as I've said over and over, there's too much money to be made in the tobacco industry for it to be banned, so that's out of the question. As for raising the age, that will simply encourage young smokers to forge friendships with older smokers, and these "suppliers" will most likely start the little 'uns on vandalism and possibly drugs (not saying that all smokers are drug users, that would be stupid, just that in my experience the suppliers are into crime and drugs). If you think that having 12 years olds spraying their names on your walls and snorting dust is a good idea, by all means be for the age rise, otherwise, it really isn't worth it when you stop to think.