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[Log4Girlz]

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/25/hawaii-lawmakers-to-raise-smoking-age-to-21.html

"Hawaii lawmakers on Friday passed a bill that would raise the legal smoking age to 21, positioning it to become the first U.S. state to do so.

The bill, which passed the state Senate by a vote of 19-4 after clearing the house last week, would also ban the sale, purchase or use of electronic cigarettes for those under the age of 21. Recent studies have found that e-cigarette use is on the rise among teenagers, even as they have abandoned regular cigarettes in droves."

Some counties already have it at 21, like New York and Hawaii County, but this would be the first state-wide age increase.

I'm a little on the fence. Cigarettes are fucking deadly, but I think people who can fight for our country should be allowed to smoke and drink.

 

[Crud]

Smoking is bad.

 

[user_nat]

Good idea. Should raise it by a year every year or 2.

 

[lednerg]

Can't believe it took this long. Well, actually I can, but you know what I mean.

 

[Lord of Castamere]

Let's throw more people in jail for stupid shit. Yeah!

 

[WanderingWind]

What an empty piece of legislation aimed to placate the elderly. An 18 year old is a free and clear, voting age citizen and it has never made sense that they can't drink. But they can enlist in the military, own property, hold a job, take out loans and basically do everything else that we expect out of adults. But in these two things, they're still "minors." But let that same 19 year old commit a crime and he'll be tried as an adult. What a load of nonsense, all around.

 

[Masquerader]

I agree with this, but it's a terrible move, given that almost every other age-related law contrasts with it.

 

[diamount]

Good. Ban them entirely next.

Dat tax money tho

 

[WanderingWind]

The solution to this problem would be to raise the adult age to 21.

Except I don't think anybody thinks a 20 year old shouldn't be treated as a legal adult in anything besides smoking and drinking. I know you're being tongue in cheek, but could you imagine the impact of disallowing anybody under the age of 21 the ability to say, drive?

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

I've seen a large uptick in anti smoking commercials on American TV.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

Except I don't think anybody thinks a 20 year old shouldn't be treated as a legal adult in anything besides smoking and drinking. I know you're being tongue in cheek, but could you imagine the impact of disallowing anybody under the age of 21 the ability to say, drive?

People wouldn't die quite as often in car wrecks?

 

[WanderingWind]

People wouldn't die quite as often in car wrecks?

Is that all you could come up with?

 

[lazybones18]

I've seen a large uptick in anti smoking commercials on American TV.

Toonami doesn't need more Anti-smoking ads!

 

[Matt_]

I have never understood why Smoking is less than drinking in so many states

 

[Velcro Fly]

I have never understood why Smoking is less than drinking in so many states

drinking allows for much worse immediate consequences

no one has ever died instantly after smoking a few cigarettes

but people have been killed after drinking a little bit and driving

 

[pa22word]

People wouldn't die quite as often in car wrecks?

Also, there's that awesome statistic of youth unemployment that would probably end up tripping as a result.

 

[Sakura]

Eh, I hate cigarettes just as much as the next person, but I'm not sure I understand the point of raising it to 21. Just ban them if you want people to stop smoking.

 

[YoungFa]

Sounds good. The part of the brain that is responsible for making rational long-term decisions and planning ahead isn't fully developed until mid twenties.

 

[Hatchtag]

Eh, it's dumb that 18 year olds can't buy them, but it's good in that the age gap will make it much harder for high school kids to start smoking. The difference in difficulty between getting booze and getting smokes in high school is pretty large despite there only being a three year gap between them.

 

[Parakeetman]

With how expensive this shit is in Hawaii already, its not like it will make much of a diff lol.

Several friends I knew actually quit even though they still wanted to smoke, just due to adding up how stupid expensive it is. Am sure the younger crowd does not want to be wasting near 10 bucks a pack anyways. As thats more than an hours worth of minimum wage work as is. Even when its cheaper its still about an hours worth of minimum wage work, which is around 7 something.

For those curious some info below. Though its an average price not like across the board with all brands / locations where they are sold of course.

http://www.theawl.com/2014/08/how-much-a-pack-of-cigarettes-costs-state-by-state

 

[killer rin]

Eh, I hate cigarettes just as much as the next person, but I'm not sure I understand the point of raising it to 21. Just ban them if you want people to stop smoking.

Sadly, all banning does is increase their usage.

 

[Alphahawk]

Incredibly dumb. let people do what they want. It's their life, if an 18 year old wants to smoke let them.

 

[i_am_ben]

I'm not sure this is a good idea.

 

[Gormless Noodle]

I smoke and I say ban it all, just raising the age isn't enough. It's like legalised heroine except worse for the people surrounding you.

 

[Banjotanooki]

Smoking is bad.

Mmkay?

 

[pa22word]

People who actively suggest prohibition as a way to get rid of tobacco products seriously make me question the teaching ability of whoever was teaching their high school history classes.

We already tried that with alcohol. Didn't really work out that well for us.

Regardless, the path we're taking now is working anyways. Smoking rates have over halved since the 60s, and smoking is stigmatized in both culture and policy to the point of mass demonizing of the smokers themselves.

In 20 years or so it'll half again, and then again. Within 100 years we won't even have to ban it, because popular culture will have already done away with it without the mess of shitting up the law books + tossing even more people in an already overcrowded jail system in the process.

 

[Xe4]

Screw that. You're telling me I can get drafted, but I can't smoke if I were to live in Hawaii? Get outta here. Lower the drinking age and keep smoking the way it is.

 

[slit]

Don't have a problem with it but I do hate double standards.

You either are an adult at 18 or you're not. If you're not then everything should reflect that.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Good. Ban them entirely next.

Great idea. That will totally stop smoking.

 

[Yaphett Kotto]

This does nothing, honestly.

Now those 18 year olds are going to find workarounds to get their cigs.

 

[DOWN]

drinking allows for much worse immediate consequences

no one has ever died instantly after smoking a few cigarettes

but people have been killed after drinking a little bit and driving

Smoking kills far more people yearly than alcohol related deaths

 

[Sinfamy]

Good. Ban them entirely next.

Because we know how well banning things in this country has worked out.

 

[Snaku]

Nobody waits until they're 18 to start smoking, this changes nothing.

 

[Sakura]

People who actively suggest prohibition as a way to get rid of tobacco products seriously make me question the teaching ability of whoever was teaching their high school history classes.

We already tried that with alcohol. Didn't really work out that well for us.

Regardless, the path we're taking now is working anyways. Smoking rates have over halved since the 60s, and smoking is stigmatized in both culture and policy to the point of mass demonizing of the smokers themselves.

In 20 years or so it'll half again, and then again. Within 100 years we won't even have to ban it, because popular culture will have already done away with it without the mess of shitting up the law books + tossing even more people in an already overcrowded jail system in the process.

?

I don't think anybody who says they should be banned actually thinks it would stop smoking.
But if you couldn't buy cigarettes in stores there is no doubt in my mind less people would be smoking.
Also, as someone who has worked at a convenience store, selling cigarettes was a hassle. All the kids coming in trying to buy smokes. IDing people and having them get pissed. Police coming in and asking if cigarettes were sold to minors. If cigarettes were banned around here it would make it easier if I worked that kind of job again

 

[noquarter]

Really curious to see what happens on Pearl Harbor Hickam Joint Base. Guess they will follow the state's law and not sell to those under 21. Suppose just easier for people under 21 to get in trouble on base for smoking. Going to be a bunch of pissed off military if that is the case.

 

[Liamario]

Raising the age isn't going to stop anything. What they need to do is make them prescription based for 18 years and over from next year. Anyone who is not 18 by that date does not and will not ever qualify for the prescription. Those who smoke will not be discriminated against and those who don't will never start. A slow phasing out of tobacco consumption.

 

[StormyTheRabbit]

Let's throw more people in jail for stupid shit. Yeah!

.

Raising the age isn't going to stop anything. What they need to do is make them prescription based for 18 years and over from next year. Anyone who is not 18 by that date does not and will not ever qualify for the prescription. Those who smoke will not be discriminated against and those who don't will never start. A slow phasing out of tobacco consumption.

I would pay money to watch a doctor prescribe cigs.

 

[Poop!]

What an empty piece of legislation aimed to placate the elderly. An 18 year old is a free and clear, voting age citizen and it has never made sense that they can't drink. But they can enlist in the military, own property, hold a job, take out loans and basically do everything else that we expect out of adults. But in these two things, they're still "minors." But let that same 19 year old commit a crime and he'll be tried as an adult. What a load of nonsense, all around.

A 15 year old teenager can commit a crime and be tried as an adult and go to an adult prison.... but if that exact same teenager had sex with someone over 18 they would be treated like a child and it would be considered statutory rape for the other person.

It's a messed up country.

 

[OnionPowder]

Because we know how well banning things in this country has worked out.

Yes because raising the age to 21 is going to work so much better

 

[Siegcram]

Good. Ban them entirely next.

We'll call it ... Prohibition.

 

[StormyTheRabbit]

We'll call it ... Prohibition.

 

[slit]

We'll call it ... Prohibition.

Prohibition is bad.

 

[womfalcs3]

The easiest way to get rid of smoking is to gradually increase its price and price most people of out of smoking over time. They'll reconsider smoking if its cost starts to eat into their budgets.

 

[Liamario]

.



I would pay money to watch a doctor prescribe cigs.

Well the doctor wouldn't be prescribing them. Perhaps prescription is the wrong word. But the individual would need to bring a card or something of that nature that proves they qualify to purchase tobacco.

 

[slit]

The easiest way to get rid of smoking is to gradually increase its price and price people of out of smoking over time. They'll reconsider smoking if its cost starts to eat into their budgets.

No, that would just create a black market like in NYC.

Anyway make no delusions about it. The gov't does not want tobacco banned in any way.

 

[MoodyFog]

Well the doctor wouldn't be prescribing them. Perhaps prescription is the wrong word. But the individual would need to bring a card or something of that nature that proves they qualify to purchase tobacco.

Then wouldn't you get people making fake cards for teenagers?

 

[family_guy]

The easiest way to get rid of smoking is to gradually increase its price and price most people of out of smoking over time. They'll reconsider smoking if its cost starts to eat into their budgets.

Wouldn't happen. It's a good idea but the lost revenue would be too costly so they'd have to increase the price and tax on other goods and services to offset.

 

[Exokell]

Splendid. As long as it stops those fuckers from blowing their death smoke in my face.

Who the fuck is blowing it at your face?... Anyway this is stupid, kids will still going to smoke cigarretes. This is just punishing people between 18 to 20. Once youre 18 you should be able to make your own decisions in life and not the government.

 

[Valnen]

The easiest way to get rid of smoking is to gradually increase its price and price most people of out of smoking over time. They'll reconsider smoking if its cost starts to eat into their budgets.

Smoking is already expensive as hell, honestly.

 

[Sheroking]

Who the fuck is blowing it at your face?... Anyway this is stupid, kids will still going to smoke cigarretes. This is just punishing people between 18 to 20. Once youre 18 you should be able to make your own decisions in life and not the government.

Why is that arbitrary line at 18, do you think?