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Smoking age to rise to 18

BillieTheBotBillieTheBot Posts: 8,721 Bot
in Politics & Debate
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Personally, I don't know. I never was a smoker and never will, but at the same time, I'm not particularly bothered by it. It's the smokers' own prerogative. It won't stop me from passing a dozen smoking school boys/girls every day I walk to work though.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Good. Now all we need is the age you can die for your country to be raised to 18, and buying porn to go down to 16, and everything will be reasonably in line. Anyone notice a distinct lack of publicity about this though? You'd think they should've been advertising this for at least two years, so that peeple knew that if a 16 year old started in 2006, they won't be able to buy any more.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    On one hand the government mooted the idea of lowering the voting age to 16, talking about giving young people responsibility - and now the government is telling 16-17 year olds that they're not responsible enough to make a decision about smoking. I guess politically letting 16-17 year olds vote would help the Labour Party... Anything seen to be cracking down on smoking meanwhile is good these days. Soon, we won't be even allowed a cigarette at the wheel (the groundwork has already started on that one). It's even illegal to advertise cigarettes, which one could almost forget are a perfectly legal product. I dunno, children shouldn't smoke - but if 16-17 year olds are 'adult' enough to join the army, marry, play the lottery, ride a scooter, drive a vehicle - then they're 'adult' enough to make a choice about smoking. Adults are perfectly well informed of the potential dangers of smoking, in a free society - they should be absolutely free to make their own personal choice. Unfortunately as the smoking ban, the fox hunting ban and ID card plans display many decisions relating to individual choice have been (or will be) taken away.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The smoking age is 18 in the US. I really think it should be illegal. The side affects to smoking just aren't attractive. Yuck. I can never figure out why Doctor's smoke though.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bad idea. Kids at school are going to smoke regardless of the legal
    age being 16, 18 or 50.

    The age is irrelevant. I mean alcohol is only available to those over 18, and we all know how hard it is for those younger to purchase alcohol. :rolleyes:

    The governments efforts need to be spent on anti-smoking campaigns and educating. The more you make something like smoking a taboo, the more mystery there isaround trying it.

    :thumb:
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    Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    Calvin wrote: »
    Bad idea. Kids at school are going to smoke regardless of the legal
    age being 16, 18 or 50.

    The age is irrelevant. I mean alcohol is only available to those over 18, and we all know how hard it is for those younger to purchase alcohol. :rolleyes:

    The governments efforts need to be spent on anti-smoking campaigns and educating. The more you make something like smoking a taboo, the more mystery there isaround trying it.

    :thumb:
    :yes:
    On all accounts.
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    I'm With Stupid wrote: »
    Good. Now all we need is the age you can die for your country to be raised to 18, and buying porn to go down to 16, and everything will be reasonably in line. Anyone notice a distinct lack of publicity about this though? You'd think they should've been advertising this for at least two years, so that peeple knew that if a 16 year old started in 2006, they won't be able to buy any more.

    I don't see why joining the army at 16 should be changed. Should let the poor sods drink at 16 too though, ffs, they have it hard enough.

    I am a smoker, and I see this as pointless. If the government REALLY didn't want people to smoke, they'd just ban fags outright. 1 month warning, get quiting, these suckers are going illegal next month. If you need help, NHS provided.

    Too much tax for them to lose tbh.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's such a fucking pointless law. It doesn't make it illegal to SMOKE if you're under 18, only buy them. Waste of time, and typical of the government not thinking something through. All we're going to get now are phone calls from shopkeepers every 5 minutes who have just had a gobful of abuse from a 17 year old.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You can join the armed forces under eighteen, but you're not deployable until you're over eighteen.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    you can lose your life at 16 (get married) why can't you smoke? i'm bnot a smoker i see it as inherently unfair, non distilled alcoholic drinks should be 16 too
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The smoking age in far more smoke-tolerant countries, such as Germany, is 18, so really it is bringing it into line with most of Europe. I think it's probably a good thing on balance, as the biggest group of problem smokers are young teenage girls, but the lack of publicity for the change in the law is a bit worrying.

    That said, less than 15% of the population smoke, so it's hardly a big thing.

    I think it went through on some obscure bill about agriculture, but I could be wrong.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't really see how it'll make a difference, I could get alcohol from around the age of 13. What makes ciggies going to be any different? And what about 16+ but under 18 year olds already addicted to ciggies, what they gonna do?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i think it's quite daft, for the reasons stated above..
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    The smoking age in far more smoke-tolerant countries, such as Germany, is 18, so really it is bringing it into line with most of Europe. I think it's probably a good thing on balance, as the biggest group of problem smokers are young teenage girls, but the lack of publicity for the change in the law is a bit worrying.

    That said, less than 15% of the population smoke, so it's hardly a big thing.

    I think it went through on some obscure bill about agriculture, but I could be wrong.

    there is no need for an act of parliament for it, it lies in the responsibility of the DoH as a discretionary law making ability

    i can see the reasoning why, but i think on balance it's wrong simply because young girls are smoking as it makes them feel more adult-like, well in lung quality anyway, so an age increase in purchasing it its just more judos imo the government should get old people to say how great it is lol
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    wheresmyplacebo wrote: »
    there is no need for an act of parliament for it, it lies in the responsibility of the DoH as a discretionary law making ability

    Not quiet. it required an act of Parliament to gve them the power

    http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/pdf/ukpga_20060028_en.pdf

    Health Act 2006
    Chapter 2

    13 Power to amend age for sale of tobacco etc.
    (1) The Secretary of State may from time to time by order amend the following
    enactments by substituting, in each place where a person’s age is specified, a
    different age specified in the order—
    (a) section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (c. 12) (sale of
    tobacco etc. to persons under 16),
    (b) section 4 of the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco)
    Act 1991 (c. 23) (display of warning statements in retail premises and
    on vending machines).
    (2) But the age specified in an order under subsection (1) may not be lower than 16
    or higher than 18.

    Not sure why they didn't just change the law outright... my guess would be that it was a late addition and there hand't be a consultation.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Great, just as I stopped getting IDd...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i work in a shop that sells cigs, and i cant wait to try to explain to 17 year olds who have been buying fags legally for the last year, that they can no longer do so

    what a huge cock up

    you can have sex and have a baby at 16 (legally of course)
    you can drive a car, a machine that has the capability to kill at 17

    yet you cant have a fag?

    oh my.....
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Littleali wrote: »

    what a huge cock up

    QUOTE]

    :yes:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    what they need to do is to make smoking seen for what it is, pretty dull and expensive, not something adults want to do
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    wheresmyplacebo wrote: »
    you can lose your life at 16 (get married) why can't you smoke? i'm bnot a smoker i see it as inherently unfair, non distilled alcoholic drinks should be 16 too


    You dont have to join the army if you dont want to, just as anyone over the age of 18 now, doesnt have to smoke, only if THEY want to
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MrG wrote: »
    You dont have to join the army if you dont want to, just as anyone over the age of 18 now, doesnt have to smoke, only if THEY want to

    should be able to choose to ruin your own health then?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So you can have it off at 16 but not have a fag afterwards?

    Like everyone else has said, the list of other, far more dangerous things that you can do at 16/17 renders the raising of the age to buy fags hipocritical and non-sensical.
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