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

[bubble79]

I think that they should definetely carryu on with the no smoking in public places, toughen up on askling for ID, because although I don't think the age should be raised, I think that it should be implemented so under 16's can't buy them. And they should raise the tax ion them

[FlyingJesus]

toughen up on askling for ID

And they should raise the tax ion them

Two good ideas there. Tax increase on them can deter people from buying them, and also means that the government don't lose money on people who do give it up.

[Isoelectric]

Raise the age to 200, that way NO ONE can buy them!

I dont see the point of cigarettes

What do they do?

Its not like theyre good for you!

[bubble79]

There are 3 reaosns people start smoking, mainly I think.

1) they're old and started before people knew it was bad for you.
2) friends are doing it
3) make your life supposedly seem less miserable

and the reasons why people don't quit.

1) can't be bothered (e.g. I'd like to but I haven't got the willpower so I'm not even going to try). Often applies to people who started because of reason 1).
2) worry about being left out of a social group.
3) seriously think it looks "cool",
4) they insist that it makes them feel better about their worthless miserable life.

and the things I think the government should do to try and stop each group.

group who started for reason 1) raise cigarette taxes even more so that they can't afford to smoke really, annd so feel the urge to quit.

reason 2) ask for ID always because this is often the younger market. Raising taxes will also discourage these,. And also a big anti-smoking campaign with celebriotes that teenagers listen to. (I say listen to because otherwise the givernment are the sort of people who would get Myleene who used to be in Hearsay or some other such fading celeb.)

reaosn 3) agaian ddo all of what is in step 2, but often these people are likely to be the ones that are going to get more withdrawal symptoms,and need some help with what cigarettes are trying to make them forget.


And finally, my fewreaons to give up smoking

1) makes you smell nicer. Smokers almost always stink.
2) makes your teeth look nicer. Smokers often have manky yellow teeth
3) it won't make you put on weight if you eat the same amount. The only reason that soem people do is because nicotine dulls the apetite.
4) you'll live much longer! Research has shown that EACH CIGERETTE takes 5-10 minutes off your life!
5) of corse you'll be much heathier, but people already know this so I won't go into a waffle about the health benefits.
and finally
6) you'll save loads of money! Think about how much you could save if you had 1 packet of 20 cigarettes a day. Let's say they cost about £4 a packet, that may be an exaggeration, I;m not quite sure, but if you had a £4 packet per day then if you quite you'd save £1460 per year! Think about what you could do with that? Wouldn't you rather have an extra holiday abroad, or full sky tv and broadband AND a new computer??? SDurely that's an incentive if nothign is.

But no the age shouldn't be raised, people will do it anyway. Thye need to have a big awareness campaign, and also focus on the immediate negatie effects, such as smell, money etc, because teenasgers seem more influenced by now than the future.

Wow, that post was a lot longer than I expected.

[Niallwozere94]

There are 3 reaosns people start smoking, mainly I think.

1) they're old and started before people knew it was bad for you.
2) friends are doing it
3) make your life supposedly seem less miserable

and the reasons why people don't quit.

1) can't be bothered (e.g. I'd like to but I haven't got the willpower so I'm not even going to try). Often applies to people who started because of reason 1).
2) worry about being left out of a social group.
3) seriously think it looks "cool",
4) they insist that it makes them feel better about their worthless miserable life.

and the things I think the government should do to try and stop each group.

group who started for reason 1) raise cigarette taxes even more so that they can't afford to smoke really, annd so feel the urge to quit.

reason 2) ask for ID always because this is often the younger market. Raising taxes will also discourage these,. And also a big anti-smoking campaign with celebriotes that teenagers listen to. (I say listen to because otherwise the givernment are the sort of people who would get Myleene who used to be in Hearsay or some other such fading celeb.)

reaosn 3) agaian ddo all of what is in step 2, but often these people are likely to be the ones that are going to get more withdrawal symptoms,and need some help with what cigarettes are trying to make them forget.


And finally, my fewreaons to give up smoking

1) makes you smell nicer. Smokers almost always stink.
2) makes your teeth look nicer. Smokers often have manky yellow teeth
3) it won't make you put on weight if you eat the same amount. The only reason that soem people do is because nicotine dulls the apetite.
4) you'll live much longer! Research has shown that EACH CIGERETTE takes 5-10 minutes off your life!
5) of corse you'll be much heathier, but people already know this so I won't go into a waffle about the health benefits.
and finally
6) you'll save loads of money! Think about how much you could save if you had 1 packet of 20 cigarettes a day. Let's say they cost about £4 a packet, that may be an exaggeration, I;m not quite sure, but if you had a £4 packet per day then if you quite you'd save £1460 per year! Think about what you could do with that? Wouldn't you rather have an extra holiday abroad, or full sky tv and broadband AND a new computer??? SDurely that's an incentive if nothign is.

But no the age shouldn't be raised, people will do it anyway. Thye need to have a big awareness campaign, and also focus on the immediate negatie effects, such as smell, money etc, because teenasgers seem more influenced by now than the future.

Wow, that post was a lot longer than I expected.

You took the words out my mouth..... You could'nt of said it better

[Bimbybecca]

There are 3 reaosns people start smoking, mainly I think.



And finally, my fewreaons to give up smoking

1) makes you smell nicer. Smokers almost always stink.
2) makes your teeth look nicer. Smokers often have manky yellow teeth
3) it won't make you put on weight if you eat the same amount. The only reason that soem people do is because nicotine dulls the apetite.
4) you'll live much longer! Research has shown that EACH CIGERETTE takes 5-10 minutes off your life!
5) of corse you'll be much heathier, but people already know this so I won't go into a waffle about the health benefits.
and finally
6) you'll save loads of money! Think about how much you could save if you had 1 packet of 20 cigarettes a day. Let's say they cost about £4 a packet, that may be an exaggeration, I;m not quite sure, but if you had a £4 packet per day then if you quite you'd save £1460 per year! Think about what you could do with that? Wouldn't you rather have an extra holiday abroad, or full sky tv and broadband AND a new computer??? SDurely that's an incentive if nothign is.

But no the age shouldn't be raised, people will do it anyway. Thye need to have a big awareness campaign, and also focus on the immediate negatie effects, such as smell, money etc, because teenasgers seem more influenced by now than the future.

Wow, that post was a lot longer than I expected.

I have to disagree with some of what you said. I am in no way condoning ciggerettes however you haven't thought about how difficult it is to quit.

Smokers have an addiction and just like any other addiction it is very hard to stop. Surely if it was easy to quit then I'm sure that most smokers would stop (I know that me and all my friends would).

The people who preach about smoking are rarely ex-smokers and if they have never smoked then they really don't understand nicotine addiction, the people who preach should be ex-smokers etc. People who have been there and understand it.

I know I stated in my last post that smoking should be banned however I have something else to add on that front. If it is banned it will still be purchased illegally, increasing the illegal drug trade. However the plus side is that it would'nt be legal to smoke it in public places, decreasing the amount of passive smoking.

[bubble79]

I'm not saying it isn't difficult to quit, but people do manage it, and people aren't even going to think of quitting if theres no incentive. And there are things to help you out there. I have never smoked and I never plan to, because whenever I inhale other peoples smoke it makes me cough, and it's disgusting. But saying that you have to have done t before you can preach is not really right, because, you don't have to have done something to know how you shouldn't do it. That's like saying 'you can't tell people not to take drugs, unless you've taken them yourself'. It just wouldn't work. And I do know people who have quitted succesfully. And speaking to them, they say that although ti wasn't easy, there were enough incentives so that they did stick at it. And there are. Especialy the money. Think about how you and your friends social life would improve if you did manage to get off cigarettes.

[FlyingJesus]

Some people are naturally more prone to addiction than others, and so will by no fault of their own find it much much harder to give up a habit, especially when withdrawal from drugs such as nicotine makes an addict feel depressed and angry (not a fantastic mix of emotions).

[Spectate]

I personally believe that the age should be raised to 18. I believe that although a lot of people who smoke at 16 are addicted, a lot of people also just smoke because those they hang around with do. I think that if it were raised to 18 maybe people would feel less pressured into smoking by their mates, as they would do at 16. Also on the point of younger people smoking, I think that it would be harder for them to get hold of the cigarettes to start smoking in the first place, as younger children probably know less 16 year olds than they do 18 year olds.

[FlyingJesus]

Surely peer pressure would increase, seeing as the smokers would be in association with the 18+ year olds that buy them cigarettes, and therefore in their little group be more "mature".