Is raising the smoking age to 18 just confusing things further?

[AB Asks]

As of today people have to be 18 before they can smoke (in England, Scotland and Wales). Do you think that this is the right decision by the government? Or is having an age of consent of 16, a driving age of 17 and cigarette-buying age of 18 sending out too many confusing messages to young people?

[SKA]

There�s no point increasing the age of smoking, if school kids can get alcohol, I�m sure they�ll still be able to get cigarettes!!
Driving is completely different as is the age of consent. I�m sure kids aren�t that dumb that they�ll get confused!! If there going to do something their age won�t stop them!!

[Skreecheeboy]

Wouldn't have stopped me, I was 12 when I started smoking, and 14 when I was first able to get served drink. I dare say I would be more inclined to now buy fags for an underager than I would have been to buy alcohol given that I know what it's like to need a fag.

[kwicky]

I suppose if a lad of 17 is deemed to irresponsinle to have a cigarette at least he can father a child in coital bliss.

[mata hati]

Are we all missing something here? Are kids getting "older" younger if you know what I mean! Should they be declared adult at aged 14 and treated as such? Start school at 3 to "get a good education" first perhaps? Have to face the rigours of "going to work" and taking responsibility for themselves? Might they prefer that?

[antiguru]

I�m not clear why we don�t just ban smoking altogether.

[Reverandfunk]

Antiguru - I smoke and for one think that as the govt think smoking is so bad why dont they ban it?

Nothing to do with billions in duty.

They want jam on it, banning it in pubs but still want the tax revenue.

[antiguru]

I�ve had another think about your question and went back to the original news report. It�s not smoking that is affected, it�s buying tobacco. As far as I can see there is no legal requirement for a person to be 18 before they can smoke.

In which case, this change won�t make any difference at all. Making something hard to get just makes it more desirable to teenagers.

[New Judge]

Quite right antiguru. The change in the law on tobacco (and indeeed for alcohol) only applies to the purchase of the goods, not to their consumption.

There are, of course, laws relating to their consumption and indeed to behaviour resulting from their consumption, but these are not age related.

[WendyS]

I'd put up the age of sexual consent, smoking, drinking alcohol and driving a car to 21.
Sadly many of the young people I see these days are so badly educated and immature that they're not fit to be set loose on the streets at all.

[Kromovaracun]

I don't think there's anything wrong with having various ages for different things. I don't think people give young people as a whole enough credit - majority of us really aren't as stupid as some people think. We can handle different ages.

It does seem a tad pointless to raise smoking to 18 though. Although I'm not sure I'd support the measure, an effective way to reduce (but certainly not eliminate) smoking among young people might be to raise the age to 21, as it's far harder to pass yourself off as 21 than 18.

[diana.m]

i get very concerned sometimes and worry about my teenage son, who I know smokes (not in front of me) and I know has tried alcohol, as i did (before legal age,) But I no longer smoke and have not turned in to an alcoholic. So I try and put things into context and knowing he is intelligent that he will work through the mixed messages and hopefully make healthy life style choices when he has finished trying things out.