*DEBATE* Should the age of being allowed to buy cigarettes be raised from 16 to 18

[JackHb]

Should the age of being allowed to buy cigarettes be raised from 16 to 18

The Government is preparing powers to allow the age for buying cigarettes to be raised from 16 to 18.

Amendments to the Health Bill will let ministers take "swift action" if consultation on raising the minimum age favours a move to 18, the same as for buying alcohol.

The Government has also tabled amendments to the Bill allowing MPs a free vote on whether there should be a total ban on smoking in public places in England.

The legal age limit for buying cigarettes and tobacco was set at 16 more than 70 years ago. In December, the Government announced that it would consult on raising the minimum to 18. Although difficult to enforce, ministers believe the move would curb the sale of cigarettes to young people.

Campaigners argue that bringing the law on cigarettes into line with that on alcohol would reduce under-age smoking. The proposal has won backing from groups on all sides of the smoking debate. But some say the only real way to tackle smoking is to introduce a total ban in public places.

Rules
Please do not comment with "yeah it should" or "No it shouldnt" please make relevent points and point of views aswell as evidence to back up your post. Thanks

[Wizzdom]

Yes it should. Anyway it wouldnt stop people from smoking....

I hate smoke and ive never tried it either....

Bann smoking all together

[Tommy]

Should it hell. There is no real reason, i dont see a problem behind it so why mess with it?

[Wizzdom]

Smoking should be banned it public spaces.

[Dracolis]

It should because its the 16 year olds who still go to school that give the younger pupils their cigarettes. This would help stop schoolkids from smoking as there would be no one to pass around cigarettes in the playgrounds and on the buses.

[Tommy]

It should because its the 16 year olds who still go to school that give the younger pupils their cigarettes. This would help stop schoolkids from smoking as there would be no one to pass around cigarettes in the playgrounds and on the buses.

Not necesserily, 15 year olds can easily buy cigerrettes these days, and many kids get them from thei parent or from s trangers off the streets, it doesnt all relate down to 16 year olds.

[Dracolis]

Not necesserily, 15 year olds can easily buy cigarettes these days, and many kids get them from their parent or from strangers off the streets, it doesnt all relate down to 16 year olds.

Yeh but I used to see these older schoolkids pass their cigarettes to the younger schoolkids to try, and then they got hooked too. I had to suffer 4 years of breathing in the horrid muck everytime I went on the school bus to go to and from school. Your right about what you say but there never was the same problem in the earlier school I went to. Surely then they would have got hold of the cigarettes as well but I never saw anyone with them in middle school.

[Lyca]

Yes i think it should
This will stop lots of fires and problems in school
In secondary school I'm sure smoking is strictly forbidden and over 70% of fires in schools are caused by smoking so instead of an exclusion or someone getting expelled they are breaking the law so can end up with a criminal record for Arson and that will affect thier chances in life for getting a good job so it can affect the whole of thier career if nobody takes them on
In conclusion i think the smoking age limit should be changed from 18-16

[Tommy]

Well also imagine telling all these 16 year olds that are hooked, because alot of my mates are, imagine telling them they cant buy any more cigarettes, its not fair on them. Because its difficult to give up and you cant just pull them away from them.
They obviously havnt thought if it from that prespective.

[Dracolis]

Well also imagine telling all these 16 year olds that are hooked, because alot of my mates are, imagine telling them they cant buy any more cigarettes, its not fair on them. Because its difficult to give up and you cant just pull them away from them.
They obviously havnt thought if it from that prespective.

Yeh but it will stop others from buying them who are not hooked. The ones that are hooked already will get over it.