AoW#16: City Plan Sets 21 as Legal Age to Buy Tobacco
By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS
The age to legally buy cigarettes in New York City would rise to 21 from 18 under a proposal that officials unveiled on Monday, a measure that would give New York the strictest limits of any major American city.
The proposal would make the age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products the same as for purchasing liquor, but it would not prohibit people under 21 from possessing or even smoking cigarettes.
It is the latest effort in a persistent campaign to curb smoking that began soon after Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took office, with bans on smoking in restaurants and bars that expanded more recently to parks, beaches, plazas and other public places.
But this latest proposal, announced by Dr. Thomas A. Farley, the city’s health commissioner, and Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker and a mayoral candidate, puts New York squarely into the middle of a debate over the rights and responsibilities of young people, and it drew much skepticism. At 18, New Yorkers are old enough to fight in wars, to drive and to vote, but if the smoking restriction passed they would be prohibited from deciding whether to take the risk of smoking.
Ms. Quinn and Dr. Farley defended the proposal, saying that people typically make the transition from experimental smoking to regular smoking around age 20, and that by making cigarettes harder to obtain at a young age the city would make it less likely that people would become lifelong addicts.
“With this legislation, we’ll be targeting the age group at which the overwhelming majority of smokers start,” Ms. Quinn said in announcing the legislation at a City Hall news conference.
While officials focused on the public health aspect of the age limitation, the announcement was also infused with political overtones. In the past, Mr. Bloomberg had always been on hand, standing in front of television cameras to boldly promote public health initiatives. But on Monday he was nowhere to be seen, allowing Dr. Farley to represent the administration and seemingly ceding the spotlight to Ms. Quinn, who initiated the proposal.
By proposing the legislation, Ms. Quinn, a Democrat who polls show is a leading candidate to succeed Mr. Bloomberg, appeared to be positioning herself to follow in his footsteps as a mayor who would make public health a top priority.
Mr. Bloomberg, in fact, had opposed a similar measure in 2006, arguing that raising the age to buy cigarettes would actually make smoking more enticing to teenagers. But he now believes differently, a spokeswoman said, because the city’s youth smoking rate has plateaued and recent research has suggested a correlation between a higher smoking age and lower smoking rates.
In interviews, many New Yorkers were largely critical of the proposal, viewing it as an attack on the maturity and self-determination of young people.
“By 18, people are responsible enough to make their own decisions,” said Erik Malave, 23, a music production student at City College. “Forcing people to make themselves healthy tends not to work.”
Mr. Malave, from Yonkers, has been smoking for about three years, and he breaks for a cigarette four or five times a day. He also said that he thought the law would be a waste of time, and that young people would easily acquire cigarettes if they wanted them. “When I turned 18, I bought cigarettes for all my friends who weren’t 18,” he said.
Jessette Bautista, 21, began smoking when she was 17 and had no problem getting cigarettes from friends who would buy packs for her. She was surprised to hear about a proposal to change the legal age to purchase cigarettes. “What happened to freedom?” she said.
While alcohol may impair a person’s judgment and so warrants a law that requires partakers to be 21 or older, Ms. Bautista said, cigarettes do not alter a person’s state of mind. “Cigarettes will not intoxicate you the same way as alcohol,” she said. “It will not put you under any influence.”
Under the proposal, the buyer would not be violating the law, but the seller would be. Fines and other penalties for selling cigarettes to minors would remain as they are now and would be imposed on the sellers, not the buyers or their parents.
Asked whether the proposal would infantilize young people, Ms. Quinn said that age 21 “seems to me to track very much with a point we have marked in society” about when people are capable of making decisions about certain potentially risky behaviors like drinking.
She said there was “clear data” that 80 percent of smokers started before age 21, adding, “We have an ability to intervene on that and make a difference.”
Dr. Farley lamented that after 10 years of decline, the youth smoking rate in the city had stalled at 8.5 percent in 2007, with 20,000 public high school students currently smoking. The rate of smoking among adults has declined from 21.5 percent in 2002 to 14.8 percent in 2011, a 31 percent decrease. In the past, city officials have suggested that public education campaigns have been effective in persuading many young people never to start smoking.
The Council is considering a Bloomberg proposal to require retailers to keep tobacco products where customers cannot see them, which the mayor said would shield children from tobacco marketing and keep people from buying cigarettes on impulse.
In pushing their latest antismoking initiative, city officials cited a 2010 study in England showing that smoking among 16- to 17-year-olds dropped by 30 percent after the legal age of sale for cigarettes was raised to 18 from 16 in 2007.
The New York proposal has to be approved by the Council and signed by the mayor, but its enactment is likely since it is being promoted by Ms. Quinn and is supported by Mr. Bloomberg.
The smoking age is 18 in most of the country, but some states have made it 19. Some counties have also adopted 19, including Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island. Needham, Mass., a suburb of Boston, raised the smoking age to 21 in 2005.
California and Texas have been at the forefront of the fight to raise the tobacco sale age to 21, but have been stymied by fears of lost tax revenue. Ms. Quinn argued that health care savings would more than make up for any potential tax revenue losses.
New York officials estimated that raising the age to 21 would reduce the smoking rate among 18- to 20-year-olds by 55 percent, and by two-thirds among 14- to 17-year-olds.
The article says you have to be 21 and older but everybody that's under 18 still smoke cigarettes. I disagree because everyone that's 18 and under are already use to smoking it and people that's 21 purchasing it for them. "People typically make the transition from experimental smoking regular smoking around age 20."
ReplyDeleteI think this law is unnecessary and people shouldn't even be debating this. I think it will have no effect on us because the people don't care, the people break the law all the time. You can raise it as much as you want. People are not going to stop smoking and will find a way to have it due to their addiction. I agree with the age because people are not worrying enough about the consequences but may when their 21 because they will be more mature/responsible to make their own life decisions.
ReplyDeleteI think that they need to change the law about tobacco because more and more teens n young adults are going to die smoking these things, and I'M really serious about this.
ReplyDeleteAnd there's nothing to debate about... if people in high power wants to change the law then let them because it wont affect me because i'm never going to smoke......
DeleteI personally think that just because they banned you from getting cigarettes at 18 isn't really smart because it depends on the person whether the person wants to stop and wait til they have the appropriate age or just get it from someone who has the cigarette.
ReplyDelete"By 18,people are responsible enough to make their own decisions"Erik Malave,23.This is why it doesn't matter whether it gets banned or not. Finally,Bloomberg could banned it but that wouldn't really change anything.
I believe this law is unnecessary because one they are only banding teenagers from buying cigarettes but is not banding them from smoking. another reason why it is unnecessary is because if they are allowing eighteen year old to go to war and fight for the country why cant they make their own decision on if they should smoke or not. Also one way or another they will find a way of buying tobacco even if they aren't allowed to.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dinora Aparicio that this law is unnecessary and this topic isn't worth a debate. No matter how much you try to raise the age for buying tobacco people are still going to disobey and undermine the law and they will find some way to buy cigarretes.
ReplyDeletenicely said!
DeleteI think this law is also unnecessary, because how are you going to say that you can't buy it, but you can still smoke it just by getting it from someone else. For that, you could just buy the cigarettes instead of sneaking it. I agree with one of the quotes from this article which was "At 18 New Yorkers are old enough to fight in wars, to drive and vote, but if the smoking restriction passed they would be prohibited from deciding whether to take the risk of smoking." So, there isn't a reason to ban it for people who are 18 and older, it should still be open for them to buy.
ReplyDeleteI find this law unnecessary as well because at the age of 18 a person is already an adult and able to manage themselves on their own . If the law is going to restrict them from buying cigarettes they might as well make smoking cigarettes illegal .As long as a person below the age of 18 tries to buy cigarettes its a problem ,but if its a 18 year old its not a problem .
ReplyDeletethis las is a waste of time and paper because it isnt really necessary and makes no type of sense. How buying cigarretes under age is illegal, but smoking them is not. Just ban cigarrets forever and stop contreversy.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Dinora Aparcio becuse it does not matter what law they make, people will break it. For example with marajuana and alcohol, people still break the law. If the law is made, people will just have other people that are of age to purchase the cigarettes for them. The law is not nessesary.people will break the law, and nothing will change.
ReplyDeleteThere has been serious problems about alcohol and drinking. I think its a good idea to take a stand to stop this kind of behavior in our country because alcohol and sugar are effecting a lot of people in our country! This is a good way to help our community and improve others :)
ReplyDeleteI think Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to raise the age to legally buy cigarettes from 18 to 21 is a bad idea. This is because this law would not prohibit people under 21 from possessing or even smoking cigarettes (AOW#16). What is the point of passing this law if you can still smoke a cigarette? Isn’t this proposal supposed to keep underage people from getting addicted to smoking? In the article city plans to set 21 as legal age to buy tobacco says, “ people typically make the transition from experimental smoking to regular smoking around age 20,and that by making cigarettes harder to obtain at young age the city would make it less likely that people would become lifelong addicts.” wouldn't the teens still smoke because it has been said that when something is taken away from you you want it more.
ReplyDeleteI say that this law is unnecessary because kids that are under 18 years old already started smoking cigarettes. Also they tell people older than them to buy it for them since they are under age. Also kids should not be going to war at the age of 18 because they are risking their life and they can die.
ReplyDeleteI think the Ms.quinn and Mr.Bloomberg should rasie the age of smoking to 21, because Dr.Farley said" people typically make the transtion from experimental smoking to regular smoking around age 20.." this provies that if the age was 21 it might take people longer to smoke regulare than esperimental. Which would lower the chance of getting lung cancer at a youg age.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn’t really matter if they change the law. There are kids that already smoke at the age of 14. So when they change the law it really won’t affect them because they’re breaking the law already. And they are not going to be able to stop them because of one fact we are humans. And humans are a curious being that is our nature.
ReplyDeleteThis article of the week talks about the new legal age to legally buy cigarettes in New York City. Which was rose to 21 from 18 years of age. Even tho the legal age to buy cigarettes has been rise it would not prohibit people under 21 from possessing or even smoking cigarettes! Therefore this law is pretty unnecessary because kids and teens that are of the age 18 and under are still smoking. What is the point of passing this law if kids and teens are still going to smoke ? This law is completely pointless. You can’t buy a cigarette at the age of 18 and under but you could still smoke it ? That's completely irrelevant! The article clearly says , and I quote “At 18, New Yorkers are old enough to fight in wards, to drive and to vote, but if the smoking restriction passed they would be prohibited from deciding whether to take the risk of smoking.” I personally agree with this there’s no reason to ban people who are 18 and under from smoking. Kids are already smoking way before the age of 18 there's no written paper that could stop them! Is there choice rather what they want or don't want to do with their lives. They should still be allowed to buy it there’s no reason not to unless they're going to ban smoking completely and there's serious consequences.
ReplyDeleteThis article is saying that they are going to raise the age limit for buying cigarettes from 18 to 21 but they are saying that you will not get in trouble for having it it says that you will get in trouble for buying it if your under 21. I think they are raising the age limit because it will stop people from smoking if they are under 21. I think they are not criminalizing possession but they are criminalizing people buying it because people get addicted to buying it and if it is hard to buy it they will stop buying it because they have to go through a lot to get it.
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ReplyDeleteThis tobacco proposal is very skeptical, and ridiculous. I say this because all it suggests is that people that have already smoked tobacco (cigarettes) and still smoke just give them a reassurance of not getting into trouble. For example, Mr.Malave who is older than 18 says he bought minors cigarettes since they could not buy it themselves “When I turned 18, I bought cigarettes for all my friends who were not 18,” he said. Without the proposal people under 21 and even under 21 would smoke because other people like Mr.Malave would give it to them like he did at the time.Making them at risk of being arrested or fined, and still smoking or getting accesses to tobacco. With the law being placed all it would do is not being able to by tobacco unless your 21 and still have the power to hold a cigarette as long as you don’t buy. Making it a waste of time.
I agree that the smoking age should be 21 because 18 is way to young to smoke tabacoo. Also young adults shouldnt be smoking cause is really bad for them. I feel it should be raised to 21.
ReplyDeletei go against this law because there is kids at the age of 18 going of to war and risking their life. i think they should be able to smoke a cigarette.
ReplyDeleteI believe this law isnt worth it because many teens smoke before 18 or 21. Alot of kids get there cigarettes from the streets from people and smoke at an early age.I think they should higher the price so people cannot buy it and it can be more expensive.
ReplyDeleteI think many things about Health Commissioner Farley and Council Speaker Quinn’s proposal to rise the legal age for cigarette purchases. I definitely don’t agree with them wanting to raise the legal age to buy cigarettes because that’s the age that we are legally adults first of all. I find this unfair because if at that age we are adults than why can we purchase a simple thing like a cigarette; I mean it’s our choice to do it. Second of all if at 18 you are able to drive, go to war, and vote it would be insignificant to not be able to purchase a cigarette. Lastly, I personally think that even if they make it illegal to purchase cigarettes at the age of 18 , this would make teenagers more tempted to get it or still able to obtain it from a friend. This is why I think that Health Commissioner Farley and Council Speaker Quinn’s proposal to rise the legal age for cigarette purchases is irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI predict that this is not right. We americans have freedom of rights witch means, its our choice to smoke or not.I believe that the age for smoking should be over 21 because of the addiction the 18 year olders could get at a young age. If someone starts smoking at a young age, they know that they have a higher advantage of getting lung cancer at a young age.
ReplyDeleteFrom this article City Plan Sets 21 as Legal Age to Buy Tabacco I agree with this happening because its not healthy to smoke for anybody. Its killing so many people that its getting to the point that there is commercials on people with disabilities from smoking. Some like an old man coughing badly and very sickly. Many of these things made me make my opinion on this big controversy on smoking.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this article because the younger the people are the faster they get lung cancer,heartcancer,and less time to live.And the later the somke the later they will die.
ReplyDeleteThe age at which you can obtain cigarettes should not be raised. It should not be raised because it will not do anything to stop teenagers from smoking. The article states that "The proposal would make the age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products the same as for purchasing liquor, but it would not prohibit people under 21 from possessing or even smoking cigarettes." This means that although they cannot purchase cigarettes, they can still smoke them. This law is unnecessary because it would be a waste of time. This is true because as stated in the article, many teens have had a way of getting cigarettes without buying them themselves. For example, the article states, "Jessette Bautista, 21, began smoking when she was 17 and had no problem getting cigarettes from friends who would buy packs for her." The article also says that, “By 18, people are responsible enough to make their own decisions,” said Erik Malave, 23, a music production student at City College. “Forcing people to make themselves healthy tends not to work.” Furthermore, the article says, "Mr. Malave, from Yonkers, has been smoking for about three years, and he breaks for a cigarette four or five times a day. He also said that he thought the law would be a waste of time, and that young people would easily acquire cigarettes if they wanted them. “When I turned 18, I bought cigarettes for all my friends who weren’t 18,” he said." This shows how you can stop people from purchasing cigarettes but you cant stop them from smoking them. Therefore, the age at which you can buy cigarettes or other types of tobaccos should not be raised.
ReplyDeleteI think that they shouldn't raise the age for smoking cigarettes to 21 because at the age 18 they are allowed to fight in war , drive, and vote , so the should be allowed themselves to make the decisions whether they want to smoke or not. Also i think this really unnecessary because who aren't even the age 18 are smoking so if they they raise the age for smoking cigarettes people who are under 21 will smoke. Furthermore if the smoking cigarettes age is raised then people who are under 21 are gonna want to smoke more because they might think its cool and that is one reason why Bloomberg didn't want to raise at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteThe Health Commissioner Farley and Council speaker Quinn's proposal to raise the legal age for cigarette purchases is a great proposal. Of course, it will be received in the exact same way as all those other health measures the city passed that affected New Yorkers' lives, they will protest against it and cause a ruckus about it and some of the heat can already be felt from angry opposers of the measure as seen in the last couple paragraphs of this article. '“By 18, people are responsible enough to make their own decisions,” said Erik Malave, 23, a music production student at City College. “Forcing people to make themselves healthy tends not to work.”
ReplyDeleteMr. Malave, from Yonkers, has been smoking for about three years, and he breaks for a cigarette four or five times a day. He also said that he thought the law would be a waste of time, and that young people would easily acquire cigarettes if they wanted them. “When I turned 18, I bought cigarettes for all my friends who weren’t 18,” he said.
Jessette Bautista, 21, began smoking when she was 17 and had no problem getting cigarettes from friends who would buy packs for her. She was surprised to hear about a proposal to change the legal age to purchase cigarettes. “What happened to freedom?” she said.
While alcohol may impair a person’s judgment and so warrants a law that requires partakers to be 21 or older, Ms. Bautista said, cigarettes do not alter a person’s state of mind. “Cigarettes will not intoxicate you the same way as alcohol,” she said. “It will not put you under any influence.”(Hartocollis, 4-22-13)'
These are incredibaly awesome points made by Mr.Malave and Ms.Bautista, it is true that even if a minor doesn't buy the cigarettes him/herself they will still abtain it so yeah it might be a waste of time but then again we won't know the effects until we try and we probably shouldn't just raise the age at which these kids can obtain cigarettes but also warn the kids through television commercials and other sources of media about the harmfull effects of smoking on one's body over time since eventhough you don't see or feel it right away your lungs are being clogged up and damaged by the smoke from the cigarettes. Also, if children are expossed to smoking early on in thier lives they will potentially become lifelong addicts as stated in the article,'Ms. Quinn and Dr. Farley defended the proposal, saying that people typically make the transition from experimental smoking to regular smoking around age 20, and that by making cigarettes harder to obtain at a young age the city would make it less likely that people would become lifelong addicts.(Hartocollis, 4-22-13)' These are all important points because they show how even if the measure comes to pass there are still a lot of factor fighting against it. All in all, the measure/ proposal is good and wouldn't it be worth it, raising the age to 21 and reducing the youth smoking persentage in order to live longer and healthier lives?
To be honest, I am kind of neutral on this ban. I think it’s unfair but at the same time it’s not that bad as you may think it is. Reasons why I think it’s unfair is that at age 18 you’re supposedly an adult (according to the law), but wouldn’t this ban make you feel like a child? Wouldn’t you feel as if you’re being told what to do when you’re supposedly an “adult”? It’s annoying that the government wants to be in everyone’s business. Especially when the person is already an adult. This is a foolish law. An example from the article to support my argument is “At 18 New Yorkers are old enough to fight in wars, to drive and to vote.” It makes no sense that 18 year olds can go to a war and die while if they smoke they wont die but will get cancer. None of these are good but I think that getting cancer is better than dying. Cancer and death are both bad but at least you’ll be alive for one of them. Will you suffer from cancer? Yes, yes you will. But at least you’ll be alive and not dead.
ReplyDeleteA reason why I think this ban isn’t bad is because it’s trying to help you. Think about it. Smoking isn’t good for you. Why whine over something that will cause serious problems to your health? In other ways, this ban would be doing you a favor since you’ll be (legally) forced to wait to smoke. An example from the article is “People typically make the transition from experimental smoking to regular smoking around age 20.” If this ban is passed, then this will decrease. People would become regular smokers at a much older age. You’re brain can still develop until you’re 20, so let it be fully developed so that you wont cause it any harm with all of that smoke from the cigarettes which aren’t good for any part of your body. Almost every part of your body will get affected by smoking like sperm count can decrease (this goes for all of you men out there), you can get yellow teeth, bad breath, and etc.
In conclusion I am between both sides. The ban isn’t that bad since it’s actually helping you in many ways especially involving your health. But why should the government waste their time if people way younger than 18 smoke and don’t get caught? Being a rebel excites many people. In my opinion, whomever wants to smoke let them smoke, they are the ones who are going to regret it when they have a hole in their neck and they need a special type of device to speak. So, what do you think?
To me in my opinion this ban is neutral. The reason why is because people have already tried to stop people from smoking but an addiction is an addiction and it is hard to stop it. It is great that they are trying to stop it and buy it until your 21 years old but if now when your 18 years old you can buy cigarets then whats the difference if people still do it. Also in my opinion it is an individuals choice to decide if you want to or not because just like people when they are 18 years old go to the army and die what is the difference with cigarets you get sick like lung cancer and at the end their is a chance you can die. So their it is an individuals choice.people can make healthier choices by like going to programs to like help them stop smoking or learn in school more about this. Therefore, to me this ban is neural and can be helped.
ReplyDeleteWhat people can do besides passing laws is to not smoke and help clean the environment. Smoking causes a lot of illnesses not only to us but to the environment as well. You may not see it but it happens little by little. People should make healthy choices and not smoke at a young age because then everyone starts to do it and that means more smoke and the environment gets bad.
ReplyDeleteWell my opinion over this ban is that i think its unnecessary like many have said above.Whether or not the age for buying cigarettes is 18 and over or 21 and over, it really doesn't make influence on teens or others who already smoke.This is true because just because you're under 18 years old it doesn't mean you can't tell someone else to buy a pack of cigarettes for you.Also because there's no penalty for people under 18 smoking cigarettes on the streets, So what difference does it really make? I personally don't like cigarettes at all, but for smokers it wouldn't be hard to find other to satisfy their needs to smoke. This law would just be a waste of time since in the article it says the following "The proposal would make the age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products the same as for purchasing liquor, but it would not prohibit people under 21 from possessing or even smoking cigarettes." Therefore this all shows to prove that raising the age of purchasing cigarettes or any other similar pruducts wouldn't exhibit any change at all to people who smoke already at any given age. The END
ReplyDeleteI think this law isn't necessary. Allowing a person to obtain cigarettes at age 21 doesn't stop people from smoking. If the people can't get it they'll have other people get it for them. I personally think they are making a big deal on this because if at age 18 you can join the army ready to give your life for the state, you can smoke a cigarette when you're old enough. This ban also questions people's maturity level telling them at what age they can buy a cigarette. It’s not fair and it's unjust in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, in my opinion I agree with this article. I agree because the Health Commissioner are helping the community and it isn't doing it to harm others. This is good because it will help on peoples health and we don't waste lot of money on medicine to cure the people that smoke. Another reason I agree is because teens these days are making bad decision on smoking and damaging there own health and not really mature since they smoke because they see others doing it.I can relate to this by in health class that the majority of people smoking start by seeing others doing it. Some ways that people can prevent from doing bad healthy choices are by watching the results of smoking and side-effects that it could bring up. Also by showing the consequences it will have for the rest of your life. Therefore, I agree with the age raising.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Yarlin because whats the point of raising the age, if you can still smoke Tobacco, and not get in trouble? Also I think this law is awful because we're in the year 2013 and there is so much different ways of getting drugs and since you won't get in trouble, I think will influence more teenagers. Also everyone must know someone that is 21 or over and by knowing someone that age you can give them money and then they can get the tobacco for you. I also agree with the statement made by Erik Malave, "By 18, people are responsible enough to make their own decisions." Instead of making a law that can stop people from buying tobacco at a younger age, the government should make different ways of showing how its bad. Also by showing what can really happen, it may make others think twice about smoking and eventually make them change their decision. Therefore, i think this law is unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteDo you think making this ban (or similar bans) infringes on one's individual rights?
ReplyDeleteI believe a ban on smoking in all public places is a serious option, because smoking is a choice, not a need or a right. I believe that banning smoking in all public places is a serious option.Furthermore, since second-hand smoke can be so harmful, I believe the right of others not to be exposed to second-hand smoke supersedes the smoker's desire to smoke where they please.
What else can people do to make healthier choices?
ReplyDeleteWhy shouldn't people be able to smoke at age 18? As young adults it is their responsibility to decide on whether what will affect them negatively or positively. People will start making healthier decisions when they experience a first person view on why smoking is horrible and will kill you slowly over time. As a country we shouldn't pass a law on which it is very similar to baby sitting. No matter what we do, there will always be a teenager who will seek to posses some cigarettes. They will not listen to reason or by third person view so why no let them learn the hard way? If they did not follow warnings on which were repeated several times. So why others should care ? People can only be healthy if they focus on themselves. An example, that shows my similar thinking is when Eric Malave states,"By 18, people are responsible enough to make their own decisions." This is important because it just reveals people can make healthier decisions if they simply investigate on what they are really doing to their bodies.
I agree with Health Commissioner Farley and Council Speaker Quinn's proposal to raise the legal age for cigarette purchase. Raising the age for cigarette purchase could be a good influence on teenagers that are planning on smoking. Ms.Quinn and Dr.Farley said that people make the transition from experimental smoking to regular smoking around 20. This means that if they raise the legal age to purchase cigarettes then people under 21 won't make that transition as fast and maybe they won't make the transition at all if they can't find someone to buy the pack of cigarettes for them or let them smoke one. If they last longer without smoking cigarettes then they will live a longer healthier life compared to someone who smoked cigarettes daily before they were 21. Although teens will still smoke cigarettes, they not as often since they are prohibited from buying them. But, the law is the same with alcohol, people under 21 years of age can not purchase alcohol, yet they still drink it during parties or when one of their friends/ family members has some available.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, this law contradicts itself because it says that people under 21 will not have any consequences if they are found with cigarettes and smoking them. So teens will still smoke because the cops won't do nothing about it if they see them smoking. Teens that smoke now, will still continue smoking whether or not this law is passed. Which means that this law will affect more people who are thinking about starting to smoke, which is the targeted group and what Dr.Farley and Ms.Quinn want to achieve.
Therefore, I agree with this law.
I also agree with Yarlin and Ameresh. I agree with them because if the age changes to 21 there are always going to be teenagers that are going to smoke no matter what. I think that they are making a big deal and would be waste of time for example; they stated, "The proposal would make the age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products the same as for purchasing liquor, but it would not prohibit people under 21 from possessing or even smoking cigarettes." This is true because if the amount of money on drugs decreases then the amount of alcohol might increase. Which means that 18-year-old people might stop smoking but they health will still not be the same because their body will get infected on the alcohol. Furthermore, the article says, "Mr. Malave, from Yonkers, has been smoking for about three years, and he breaks for a cigarette four or five times a day. He also said that he thought the law would be a waste of time, and that young people would easily acquire cigarettes if they wanted them. “When I turned 18, I bought cigarettes for all my friends who weren’t 18,” This clearly shows that the people aren’t going to stop they might stop purchasing it but not smoking it. I personally don’t like any kind of drugs or alcohol but I personally don’t think that people would stop smoking.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the proposal of the Health Commissioner Farley and Council Speaker Quinn's to raise the legal age for smoking and possessing cigarettes to 21 . This doesn't really make any sense. One reason why this doesn't make any sense is because just like Erik Malave said by age 18 people are capable of making their own decision, so why wait into there 21 to decide whether or not to smoke if they are capable of making the decision when they are 21. Another reason why this doesn't make sense and I disagree with it is because teenagers are still going to find a way to smoke anyway. Just how the article showed testimony from people that when they were teenagers (below the smoking age) would get cigarettes from their friends who were old enough to buy cigarettes. The reason why I strongly disagree with this is because by age 18 people are allow to vote, drive, and go to war. This make no sense, at age 18 people could make and be allow to vote for a president, someone who will run the country for the next 4 years and represent the United States but cant be allow to smoke into age 21!! They could drive, something that requires skills and sometimes end someones life but cant smoke into the age of 21 because it might kill them if they start smoking early. Allow to go to war, risk their life for their country at age 18 but aren't allow to smoke into age 21. In my opinion they should just ban the sell of cigarettes and tobacco because as long as they could be found in store adults and teenagers will find their hands around them.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't really matter at what age people are able to buy cigaretts, I think that it is their own choice and especially when you are 18 and grown you should know by then what affects you and what doesn't and their isn't much to talk about once you know that.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with this ban because teens buy cigarettes at what age i personally see many teens buy it when their just 15 years old and they still do it. I think that they shouldn't ban that or make the legal age to buy cigarettes to 21 because many teen still find a way to get it so i see no point to do that.
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