WA state to introduce minimum 21 yr to buy tobacco

[Brewdude]

Don't have the news article at hand but it's going to be debated in the state legislature. And if I were a betting man, I'd say it has a very good chance of being passed. That would then make us the second state behind HI to have a 21 yrs old minimum age to buy tobacco products or vaping supplies.


Cheers?


RR

 

[RDPipes]

Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me but, I don't reckon it'll stop anyone under 21 from getting tobacco if they're as resourceful as we were when young.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Do you have to be 21 to buy pot there? If so, and you have to be 21 to buy booze, why not tobacco?

And like Ron says, never stopped the youth before from accessing any of those products in the past!

 

[Brewdude]

I've mixed feelings about this. On the one hand it will deprive the state of badly needed revenue. And then as we all know, resourceful people will circumvent this as they have in the past.

And then there's the issue of all the stores that sell tobacco products. As I understand it, the c-stores have the most to loose and they make a great deal of their income off cig sales. They will be the most vocal group in opposing this.

Equally, the damaging issues of cigs are well known and there's no point in trying to defend it. At the same time, those who want them will get them be they 21, 18, 16, or whatever.

And then those who are 18 can vote and go to war. So where's the logic? There isn't any IMO.

At some point individuals have to be able to make their own personal decisions about what's healthy and what's not.

A conundrum to be sure!

:|


Cheers,

RR

 

[Dutch]

Will they still need to pay income tax? Seems like they could wait to issue them a SS#, if they aren't legally of age.

 

[MisterE]

I can't really see where he harm is in this particular piece of legislation. Yeah, the motivated will find a way around it, so it's more of a token law. Cigs aint good for nobody, so the later you start, the less likely you are to become a junkie.

 

[ontariopiper]

Here in Ontario, the legal age to purchase tobacco is 19, same as alcohol, so the proposed WA legislation seems more or less in line.

I take your point, though, Brewdude. It is a bit puzzling that our kids are legally adults at 18, can vote and die for their respective countries, but are considered somehow too immature to buy alcohol or tobacco.

Then again, also here in Ontario a kid can't be given a zero grade for not turning in an assignment in high school. There's a mandated minimum grade of 30% - so we don't damage a kid's self-esteem with a zero.... :fpalm: :fpalm: :fpalm: There was actually an article in the paper recently that laid out how the high schools are failing miserably to prepare kids for the realities of university/college. Ugh.

Sorry for the hijack there. Getting back on track, at least if the legislation passes in WA, you'll know that any guy you see with a pipe is a REAL man who can do what the rest of us do - vote in the elections and then go home to drink away the foul taste! :lol:

 

[RDPipes]

"ontariopiper"

Then again, also here in Ontario a kid can't be given a zero grade for not turning in an assignment in high school. There's a mandated minimum grade of 30% - so we don't damage a kid's self-esteem with a zero.... :fpalm: :fpalm: :fpalm:

Well, that sounds like a load of crap! If one doesn't do anything one does not get anything. This is reality, not patting them on the head and sending them along and letting them believe they're going to be given everything no matter what. All this does is instill laziness and I think we already got enough kids nowadays doing this and thinking we own them a living.
But, God forbid we harm the little fricken brats Self Esteem, he's needs to be kicked in the ass and showed he isn't going to be handed anything until he does something and hopefully that'll be more then sticking his finger up his nose and whining about how everyone owes him something.

 

[ontariopiper]

[/quote]Well, that sounds like a load of crap! If one doesn't do anything one does not get anything. This is reality, not patting them on the head and sending them along and letting them believe they're going to be given everything no matter what. All this does is instill laziness and I think we already got enough kids nowadays doing this and thinking we own them a living.
But, God forbid we harm the little fricken brats Self Esteem, he's needs to be kicked in the ass and showed he isn't going to be handed anything until he does something and hopefully that'll be more then sticking his finger up his nose and whining about how everyone owes him something.[/quote]

I cannot argue with you at all on this Cart! It IS a load of crap, which the kids discover rapidly when they hit the much more "real world" of college. That first semester is quite a shock to their little systems!