The Feds just raised the age to purchase tobacco and vaping products to 21 from 18. I'm 68 and never smoked so this has no effect on me but I'm curious how others view it.
You can drive a car at 16. Join the military and marry at 18. Get free condoms and abortions without parental consent in high school. Vote at 18 with some wanting to change the age to 16. Buy alcohol at 21. Stay on your parent's health insurance until 26. At what age does the government believe a person is capable of making a mature decision and should the government even make the determination? I'm sure I'm not the only person confused by this.

Not just join the military, but has to register for selective service at 18 (for men).

The government doesn't want people making their own decisions.

You are not alone corky.

I find it troubling that we will give young men the tools to wage war on a monumentally destructive level yet feel they aren't capable of making the choice to smoke or drink.

As a former tobacco user I say it's a good thing.....but as someone who believes in individual freedom it's a bad thing.

The 16 to drive one I'm ok with.. The smoking and drinking thing I understand they want at 21 to keep it out of the high schools.. Like that has ever worked.
My personal thought on it is if they truly want to regulate it at the high school. Make the age 19 for all that stuff..I hate the picking and choosing what they call and adult. We all know every kid is different and don't act the same at same age.. Pick one age for that adult word and quit chasing it around depending on what their applying it to..

Mac

Thank goodness kids under 21 can't get ahold of tobacco now, same as alcohol, marijuana, recreational drugs, etc. More laws keep everyone safe.

i started using tobacco regularly when i was 12. sometimes i had to lie and tell a store clerk it was for a parent. most didnt care. need to repeal any law that puts the burden of enforcement on a minimum wage earning convenience store clerk.

first time i bought a firearm at retail store was on my 17th birthday. bought it at a gibsons. 12 gauge shotgun. showed the clerk my driver license and said its my birthday. the clerk didnt catch that it was my 17th birthday. so when i filled out the form the gun control act of 68 required i took a year off my birthday. the clerk didnt catch that either. nobody is more resourceful than a kid who wants to buy something. all those age limit laws need repealed. is there anybody reading this who thinks high school kids cant get all the booze and tobacco they want?

From a smoker, if it keeps just one kid from ever smoking its fine by me.

Back when I was in school there was a designated smoking area for the kids that smoked.

My hero was the marlboro man when I was a kid. i still miss tobacco. I think when I reach the end of my life, if I dont tip over sudden, I'm going to take up chewing again.

Raising the age to purchase tobacco was passed as part of the spending thing that just got passed. Approved by the democrat house, republican senate, and republican president. It pretty much flew under the radar due to the impeachment stuff. Good example of two opposing political parties with different stated goals, but the real joint unstated goal of oppressing freedom.

Well said! They are all Freedom gobblers.

Okay so let's look at this from a realistic stand point. This is a feel good move by politicians. The problem is teenagers vaping. So we raise the age for buying cigarettes to 21. That makes perfect sense to me. How exactly does that affect the problem. If you want to have an impact on the problem pass laws that hold retailers that sell to under age folks accountable and enforce it.

didnt like short hair though. my kids still tease me about that. i had just gotten my air force discharge. was enjoying not having a haircut regulation

As being raised in the second largest tobacco producing state I can remember as a kid old farmers asking "Haven't you started smoking yet?" You didn't worry about age as long as you were tall enough to put 25 cents in the machine and strong enough to pull the lever you got your cigarettes. Yes, I raised tobacco till the program went out in 03.

19 year olds make stupid decisions - I did. But, stupid decisions is how I learned to stop making so many stupid decisions. I can see both sides but the war on drugs has proven that making something illegal doesn't stop anyone from getting or using it.

I'm disgusted by the new war on vaping. Vaping is stupid but people are going to do stupid things and giving those who are addicted to nicotine a less stupid option seems like a good thing to me.

individual liberty has been willingly given up. drug laws. (that includes alcohol and tobacco), zoning laws, hiring laws, age limit laws, permit and license laws, firearm laws, on and on and on all in the name of saving people from theirself.

I say we need a little more natural selection again. Time to bring back personal liberty and let people live or die with the consequences of their choices. When somebody CHOOSES not to work their neighbor should not be forced to support them. Without government healthcare people could afford health care. Cost would come down or providers would be out of business. Free markets are a good thing.

All these government protections do is make things worse.

my 20 yr old pipeliner son was refused to buy a lighter yesterday.

I am not upset at all by the age to smoke matching the age to drink , that actually makes sense been saying for a while while the two should match.

what doesn't make sense is not raising the age to vote and military service , you are an adult or your not . if you can not be trusted to use tobacco and alcohol with restraint then how can you use your vote with restraint how can you use your M4 with restraint.


yes I realize some can , some can at 16 or 17 , but they want to change age of responsibility then raise the age of responsibility.
I was living on my own at 17 and in college , I had a wife and house at 21. as they keep telling me Pete your the exception.
well everyone wants to be a kid longer sure all age of responsibility can go to 21.

it really doesn't matter the kids just mail order their vape and pot , edibles , THC vape juice, the USPS is the largest single drug dealer in the country right now.