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

[Jasminz0r]

I dont know, because it'd be pointless really, when these kids aged like 13-16 are addicted to smoking, they need it, so they will just get someone to buy it for them, or they'll steal it anyway. If they are truley addicted, and have failed giving up they will do anything to get their hands on them, stealing from parents, friend getting them for them, ect.

[Teh_Dazeh]

Who cares?
The age limit dosen't matter...

People can get them anyway, no matter what the age limit is.

[Gareth.™]

I think it should be raised, as if you smoke at an age like 16 (or even less) it is even the greater chances of dieing than smoking when you're like 20 +.

[FlyingJesus]

I think it should be raised, as if you smoke at an age like 16 (or even less) it is even the greater chances of dieing than smoking when you're like 20 +.

Surely that's the choice of the would-be smoker.

[Nixt]

I personally,agree that the age should be raised; if the government were to raise the age however, I do not see the impact it would have.
A quarter of 15 year olds are regular smokers [Quoted from Jessica Williams' 50 Facts that Should Change the World] and if they are not worried about breaking the law, why would 16 year olds not be?
The best thing that the government could do, is ban cigarettes altogether; the problem with this however would be a huge plummet in industry, something far too risky for the governement to do.
However, the new lawas that ban smoking in public places is welcome, the question is; will this be enforced?

[FlyingJesus]

Yes, the public smoking ban is coming into effect some time in the summer.

What people seem to be failing to realise throughout this thread is that smoking is not illegal under 16 (there's no law on what age you can smoke at), only the purchase of tobacco and tobacco products. Raising the age required to buy cigarettes will hardly change anything anyway, if anything it will have negative effects.

[Teh_Dazeh]

At the moment, people under the age limit to buy Cigarettes are paying profit to Legal buyers to get Cigarettes for them, if the age limit was put up higher, people under the age limit would start paying MORE profit.

Cigarettes are so addictive i doubt this will stop a lot of people smoking, it will just basically make them steal money to get them.

[DJ-Precocious]

Right coming from first hand experiance, smoking is disgusting, i personally have tried smoking once and hated it. (this is not a personal Vendeta because smoking has done something to me(it is simply to warn you not to experiment))

Although many people would say that it wont change anything and that children of all ages still have acces to cigarettes, it would make it harder for them to buy cigarettes!

And Although People say that it is the choice of the smoker as to whether or not they want to smoke I do think that they shouldnt be alowed to make this choice until they are mature enough and the age at which i think any person is mature enough to make this choice is 18:eusa_danc

[FlyingJesus]

What makes you think that 18 year olds are any more mature? The majority of 18 year olds in Britain spend their free time at pubs and clubs, drinking and shágging around.

[DJ-Precocious]

What makes you think that 18 year olds are any more mature? The majority of 18 year olds in Britain spend their free time at pubs and clubs, drinking and shágging around.

And i suppose you have statistics to show that a majority of 18 year olds drink and shág during all of theyre spare time???