What do you think about the smoking age being raised to 21 in the US?

That is a good idea actually

i think it aint gonna change the fact that someone can still buy them for a minor so it doesnt make a difference if they raised it to 31, they still gonna smoke if they feel the erge.. its as simple as that..it doesnt matter, smoking is going to kill u anyway whether 1st hand or 3rd hand, u gonna smoke if u wont to…

I think it is stupid. I mean, by 21, people already have a job, struggle to live by themselves, have to deal with lots of problems, but yet, they can’t go home at night, sit in front of the tv and have a beer and a ciggarette to relax ?! It is not healthy to smoke? Hell yeah, it isn’t, but nowadays even regular food is not healthy to eat. I think it should be a personal choice, to smoke or not to do it, and i think one is able to do that choice at a much younger age than 21. Actually, as long as you are suitable to work and/or take responsabilities in life, you are mature enough to decide either you want to smoke or not. And that is somewhere around 16 years old. In the country i live, you can buy alcohol and ciggarettes once you turn 18, and i think this legislation is much more reasonable.

BBuBut tththetherthere wwiwill ALWAYS be a black market when you take things people want. In fact, I feel that it will have the mirror of prohibition from the 20’s.

Raising the age will do nothing. I smoked when I was 13. It was very easy. I am proud to say I no longer smoke. Thanks to Chantix. It has been almost a year. I can say from experience that age limits will not eliminate the problem…proper education and parenting are your only hope.

the bigger, better. I would be happy if there would be even rule about not allowing to sell cigarets in shops etc. There is no good about smoking, except making u calm when ur nervous. . . ^^

they will continue smoke, but raising age will make more peoples not to start smokin that sht

That is not a good idea. As you say, there’s a LOT of money involved, so trying to get smokes off the market is NEVER going to work.

I don’t even smoke ciggarettes but i think this is a stupid idea. Yes, ciggarettes are unhealthy and can cause tons of illnesses but the only person the smoker is hurting - is themselves. At 18 you are an adult and expected to make adult decisions no matter how right or wrong. If a person chooses to smoke and ruin their lungs - its their body and they have every right too. I don’t like when it compared to alcohol in the reasoning for raising the age. Alcohol impairs your judgement and makes you a danger to other while on the road - ciggarettes do not.

Overall smoking is good for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Smokers conveniently die younger putting less strain on Social Security. Ironically smokers on the average have a lower total lifetime medical expenditure. Someone can spend more in a single major medical crisis like heart attack, stroke, or cancer than during decades of comparatively good health. Smokers usually die from their first major medical crisis while non-smokers usually survive at least one major medical crisis. If everyone stopped smoking we would probably have to raise taxes to support all the longer living non- and ex- smokers. As a non-smoker I’m happy that smokers are willing to be broke, sickly, and die young to maintain their habit since their loss is my gain. Go Smokers!

The people with the smokers lisense would most likely sell them. Cigarettes would become somewhat of an illegal drug and would start selling for big money most. I dont think it would make smoking any less dangerous, I think it would make them dangerous in a whole new light.

Although smoking is unhealthy, I don’t agree with 21. Once you’re ‘18’ you’re considered an adult. Once you’re an adult, I think you should be able to do with your body whatever you please. If you choose to smoke knowing the risks, that’s on you then. Making it 21 is just a little ridiculous.

I don’t think that it is going to change who smokes, I say let them mess up their lungs as long as I don’t have to breathe in their second hand smoke I do not care what they do. Making the legal age 21 is just going to waste money on changing legislation, and smokers do not deserve to have money wasted on their behalf.

Sorry I just realized what my cell phone dddidd lol.

It would work because it would be legal for the current generation of smokers. there wouldnt be anyone who would try to even start smoking if they knew they couldnt get any without breaking the law. well maybe not everybody, but a whole lot more.

I was gonna write that! D: curse my timing! D:

I hope some of that sentiment is tongue in cheek. As someone who has lost a mother (age 57) to lung cancer due to 40 years of smoking, I think money should be the least concern.

No need to raise the smoking age. Just raise the taxes on it so it becomes cost prohibitive for people, especially young people who generally have less money.

On one level I intended it to be hyperbole like Swift’s Modest Proposal. I wouldn’t wish an early demise on anyone except perhaps violent criminals or tyrants. On another hand one of the consequences of longer lifespans is more stress on our retirement and health care systems. In the broadest sense it would be difficult for our system to absorb the costs of a longer living populace so our system banks on some people leading dangerous or unhealthy lifestyles. I started smoking at 12 and I count my lucky stars that I quit at 14 before I was addicted to tobacco. I really am sorry about your mother. Stalin noted that one death is a tragedy but a million deaths is a statistic. We use all kinds of sterile words for death like mortality rates, shortened lifespan, poor outcomes, negative prognosis, demise, attrition, etc. but every death is a tragedy.

Thanks. It was long ago, but it has made me a bit of a militant anti-smoker. If it causes stress on our retirement and health care systems, than the answer should be a better system. Not resignation.

Just like how nobody tries dr*gs because they’re illegal, eh? Then we have people killing each other for a cigarette, sounds like a good plan to me.

honestly, it wont be that big of a deal. everyone i know who smokes hates the fact they quit and always tell other people not to smoke. who is proud to be a smoker? It really wouldnt be a problem if you supplied it to all current smokers.

it doesnt really matter to me, im older than that

in my opinion it dosent matter what age the law says people can smoke. at 15 i was buying smokes at any gas station in ca with out getting carded, and if they do ask for id i just went to the next gas station and got them their. the law is only effective if tobacco sellers enforce it.

ita correct smoking is harmful anyways so it’s right.:)

You’re funny. As if at 18 everyone runs out and starts smoking. Most people start smoking under the age of 16. What difference would raising the smoking age make? It’s not like having drinking at 21 reduces the number of teens who drink.