Town leaders want to get tough on tobacco

[Oasis]

this is the dumbest thing. these anti-tobacco rallies are hilarious. all i see are a bunch of dumb americans screaming

"WE DEMAND LESS FREEDOM!"

honestly if someone wants to take a drug and they understand its bad for them you have no right to stop them.

Problem is that cigarettes are bad for people around the user as-well, and usually children who don't have a choice.

[Ad Bot]

[otto-san]

ya dugs affect people other than the user too

either through direct biological or psychological effects or indirect, gradual ones

[carolcat]

e-cigarettes shouldnt be banned anywhere cept private businesses if they want.

my grandma's restaurant's new management allows smoking in the diner but they don't allow e-cigs. no idea why.

[#Ravencroft]

Wow that's total bs. I mean I wouldn't care about cigarettes but I smoke my ecig and cigars fairly often.

[$trinick]

I feel so bad for anyone who's ~18 and addicted to cigarettes if this stuff actually goes through. You put them in a situation where something that they almost need is illegal for them to have -- it's like making it illegal to not be starving.

Since all tobacco products would go to 21+, all the nicotine supplements / quitting aids would be illegal too.

[DrenDran]

What's banning the flavoured stuff going to do, I mean really?

[Crispy_]

only thing i don't agree with here is banning ecigs where cigs are banned. usually you're gonna use ecigs to cut down on smoking or at least stop the harmful qualities.

[#Ravencroft]

only thing i don't agree with here is banning ecigs where cigs are banned. usually you're gonna use ecigs to cut down on smoking or at least stop the harmful qualities.

ecigs have no effect on the air though. It's literally water vapor so why should they be banned?

[$trinick]

What's banning the flavoured stuff going to do, I mean really?

The idea is that kids are attracted to the tasty flavors of flavored tobacco. The theory is actually pretty well based, hookah has become extremely popular in recent years for teenagers and the recent e-cig explosion in youth is almost entirely attributable to the pleasant smoking experience.

Normal tasting cigarettes aren't as fun to smoke.

[Trogtor]

honestly cigarettes give me a headache

[ShadowsfeaR]

e-cigarettes shouldnt be banned anywhere cept private businesses if they want.

True dat

[sir dooble]

I feel so bad for anyone who's ~18 and addicted to cigarettes if this stuff actually goes through. You put them in a situation where something that they almost need is illegal for them to have -- it's like making it illegal to not be starving.

Since all tobacco products would go to 21+, all the nicotine supplements / quitting aids would be illegal too.

It's a problem for those already addicted at that age, but the point isn't to get them to stop but rather to make it less likely for younger people to take it up when they become 18.

That might deter some people from smoking, but in my experience all the teenage smokers I know (17-19) have been smoking from the ages of 14/15. The legal age to purchase cigarettes and associated products is 18 in the UK (since '07, was formerly 16). There's no legal age for when you can smoke, but if caught under 16 it'll likely be confiscated from you.

[$trinick]

I understand what the point is, but that's still a legitimate reason not to change the age. Causing immense suffering for a minority at the benefit of a majority is commonly perceived as immoral -- see racism.

IMO if they were going to do this they should do it in steps. This year, 18 is the smoking age. Next year, 19. That way the people who are smoking legally this year will never have to stop smoking legally. The smoking age would raise by 1 the two consecutive next years to rest at 21 forever.

[Caribou]

I truthfully believe in making the tobacco age to 21, because it can prevent people in the future from trying tobacco at an early age. Honestly, things like cigars and hookah are not good for you but nowhere as bad for you as cigarettes. I think cigarettes are the real culprit here, they are disgusting chemically-made pieces of paper. The only natural tobacco product I can think of is pipe tobacco, not to mention, it has a very pleasant aroma too.

[hodot]

I truthfully believe in making the tobacco age to 21, because it can prevent people in the future from trying tobacco at an early age. Honestly, things like cigars and hookah are not good for you but nowhere as bad for you as cigarettes. I think cigarettes are the real culprit here, they are disgusting chemically-made pieces of paper. The only natural tobacco product I can think of is pipe tobacco, not to mention, it has a very pleasant aroma too.

all this does is make those who do it before then criminals.

doesn't keep them from doing it.