Smoking Age

this has sorta split from the other two threads....

how come the age for smoking is 16 but the age for alcohol is 18? surely smoking is considerably more dangerous than drinking alcohol? i think it should at least be raised to the same level as alcohol if not higher. its weird to think i could go out and buy a pack of cigarettes right now and it being legal......

 

Where do you live????

In the u.s.a...they limit age for drinking is 21 and the limit to smaoking is 18...

 

Where are you from?

Here the smoking age is 18 and the drinking age is 21...

-Edit- Someone beat me to it.

 

In the UK smoking is 16, Drinking:
"The legal age to purchase alcohol is 18. Young people aged 16 and 17 may consume wine, beer, cider or perry with a meal in a restaurant providing they're with an adult and the adult orders it. Children under 14 are not allowed in pubs without an adult. The purchase of liquor chocolates is 16. The legal age for drinking in one's home is 5 provided parental consent is given. Children under 5 must not be given alcohol unless for medical reasons."

Driving is 17, voting is 18, marriage:
* England and Wales: 18, 16 with parental consent
* Scotland: 16 (hence the tradition of English couples "eloping to Gretna Green")
* Northern Ireland: 18, 17 with parental consent
* Jersey: 18, 16 with parental consent

Age of consent (you know what i mean):
England, Scotland, Wales:16
Northern Ireland: 17

 

dang.......

Oh..I didn't understand the consent thingy...what does that mean?

 

That's bizarre. In Canada the smoking age is the legal age, 18, and drinking age is 19.

 

Yup, here(Portugal) it's the same thing as in the UK..Only the driving age changes, 18.

 

Well that's rather weird. Here where I live it is 18 for both.
I am never going to begin smoking.

 

Oh, anyone who lives in America, if yu have not yet heard, they changed the smoking age to 19. Mostly because they had 18 year old highschoolers buying cigarettes for their younger classmates. So they changed it to 19 so highschoolers couldn't buy them.

And also, I don't even think their should be a law that says you can't smoke until a certain age...I think their should be a law that says you can't at all. But int he end you can't stop people from doing things like smoking, just like you can't stop alchohol abuse.

And as a side note: Alchohol age is higher because it's more common then cigarettes. Alchohol itself is accepted in this society. All of your parents drink it, all college kids drink it, and a large majority of highschoolers drink it. People don't think it's as dangerous because so many people do it. And because so many people do it, it's a lot more commom for things like liver cancer or overdoses that take place. The sole reason for the drinking age to be higher is because hte problems caused by it are a lot greater. When you smoke a cigarette, you're really only hurting yourself, and those very very close to you. (Secondhand smoke). But when your drink, you hurt yourself, and everyone around you, everyone close to you, and sometimes those that you don't even know. Because of how the world treats alcohol, as just that: a treat, we need to put more of a clamp on it.

 

In the USA, the smoking age is 21 or 18, depending on where you buy it. Most gas stations have it as "21 or no tobacco."

Though, IMO, they shouldn't even have an age for cigarettes. They should just stop making them completely. At least tobacco should. They might lose money, but the employee's can get other work. It's ridiculous, they know that they are killing 3 people for every 1 carton of cigarettes they sell, and yet they are still in business? <_< Wtf.

Alcohol/Beer, however, I have no problem with. You aren't killing yourself with every sip (unlike a cigarettes inhale). And actually, sometimes wine too can taste really good. And also, it's healthy to have a glass or two every now and then.

 

I think the smoking age UK has risen to 18 now! I think 16 was too young to be able to buy them so I'm glad it has now gone up! I agree smoking is potentially more harmful than alcohol so should be classed in same! :D

 

They should just kick the cigarette peoples saggy behind into a pit filled with tobacco and light the place on fire.