Council Vote Raises Tobacco Buying Age To 21

[R10 2952]

http://www.ny1.com/content/news/191326/council-vote-raises-tobacco-buying-age-to-21

 

I might not be an advocate of smoking, but this is just ridiculous.  What a freaking nanny state.  Good Lord.

[Grand Concourse]

Less 2nd hand smoke for me to deal with, I'd say good about the new limit. But give exemptions to those serving in the military as god knows they put up with enough stress to deserve something to take the stress off.

[Turbo19]

As if we as a society weren't so hypocritically selective enough already (liquor purchasing age at 21 vs. age 18 threshold for virtually everything else), now this comes along. This efforts are laughable, and in addition, counter intuitive to what is hoped to be gained.

 

Those who are 18-21 (now considered underage) can easily pick up tobacco products elsewhere legally (even across state lines perhaps). In fact who's to say when the opportunity arises they won't pick up more than intended as they no longer have the liberty to do so near home. This is counter intuitive in that this may cause people in this age to end up using more tobacco products when a chance is there, and possibly skipping tobacco altogether and turning to other (much more harmful) illicit substances, which I'm sure is not wanted by anyone concerned for the health of young adults.

 

Then there is the 17 and under bracket. Surely there is hope that the later purchasing age will deter people in this age group from buying and using. Quite the contrary. By raising the purchasing age there is a wrongful message of making these products taboo. Similar to the stigmatization of liquor equating to a product reserved for the mature this is making tobacco even more appealing to this group. Once again, a great chance that these young people will skip the slightly safer tobacco and choose to use illicit substance in favor. Again, not what is wanted. No question this is the wrong approach.

 

But all that aside, this isn't so much an issue of health, nor is it an issue of protecting the young. This is an issue of hindering liberty and the freedom of choice to those of legal consenting age. This is absolutely discriminatory if not demeaning to those 18 and over. The message being sent is that a young individual is incompetent to decide for his or her self. It's just wrong.

[SoSpectacular]

That ain't stoppin' them young ones from smoking they'll still be getting their fix regardless

[bobtehpanda]

People already buy in other counties because it's cheaper, so what exactly has this changed?

[realizm]

I can see the ineffectiveness in this new bill that will in effect if signed into law, will increase the number of prevalent young smokers, not decrease it. It will increase the scope of the black market on illegal sales of tobacco not decrease it.

 

This same ethical argument can be presented on the issue in regards to the decriminalization of marijuana in the United States. As an example: The rates of consumption of marijuana in the Netherlands by the Dutch government where marijuana is not necessarily illegal but regulated, is actually less then that of the United States where marijuana is classified as a DEA scedule 1, hence illegal. The reason why we have a violent black drug market in marijuana sales is because the US Congress cannot come to terms with the fact that decriminalizing marijuana in all 50 states and come to a bill to pass legislation for marijuana regulation laws as an alternative , a substance that is potentially harmless as compared to alcohol will put an end to this major fail of a drug war. This is what many lawmakers either fail to see or is reluctant to accept.

 

I suspect very highly that the real reason why the lawmakers are pushing this is to put in place another stature into law in order to to collect revenue through the collection of fines and penalties. That is what this is about. 

 

That being said tobacco is one of the deadliest recreational drugs out there even when compared to alcohol and marijuana and I would encourage all never to pick up a pack of smokes and start. An estimated 443,000 smokers die each year from the respiratory disorders caused by smoking tobacco. It will slowly kill you. My two cents.

[Astoria Line]

People will still smoke regardless...It is like with weed, it may be illegal, but people still do it...they find ways to do it

 

Speaking of which, there are many stores in the city that I know of that WILL sell you cigarette and alcohol products if you are underage anyways... they care more about the money lol..

 

Or one can simply come here to Nassau where you only need to be 19 to purchase tobacco products

[realizm]

People will still smoke regardless...It is like with weed, it may be illegal, but people still do it...they find ways to do it

 

Speaking of which, there are many stores in the city that I know of that WILL sell you cigarette and alcohol products if you are underage anyways... they care more about the money lol..

 

Or one can simply come here to Nassau where you only need to be 19 to purchase tobacco products

It's true. Even drugs.

 

Makes me wonder about some of these people, how can you sell drugs to young kids are you out of your mind?

[Turbo19]

It's true. Even drugs.

 

Makes me wonder about some of these people, how can you sell drugs to young kids are you out of your mind?

Profit is one, but there are further incentives. In the case of such items in many instances retailers get a portion of the imposed taxes on items, thus making mass sales good form a business perspective.

[peacemak3r]

Regardless of the new law, it won't benefit much.  Kids these days have means of ways to obtain cigarettes.  For one, I know there are many illegal vendors for cigarettes all over Chinatown in Manhattan and 8 Av in Brooklyn..probably Flushing too.

[Joel Up Front]

People will still smoke regardless...It is like with weed, it may be illegal, but people still do it...they find ways to do it

 

Speaking of which, there are many stores in the city that I know of that WILL sell you cigarette and alcohol products if you are underage anyways... they care more about the money lol..

 

Or one can simply come here to Nassau where you only need to be 19 to purchase tobacco products

The last sentence is true.  When I was younger, my high school allowed me to go to the nearby shopping plaza during lunch and all I saw were a bunch of 19 year old dropouts-to-be buying cigs for their "friends."

[Turbo19]

One (myself) wants to know what was the true motive behind introducing this measure. Could it be sybliminal advertising through a joint effort by the city council and a major player in the tobacco industry? And is there another goal, to alter perception and make them both seem like they're looking for the best interest of the public? Or could it be that I'm just not thinking straight? Either way I'm off to pick up a pack of Raves, so if advertising was the goal to their credit it's working.

[Guest Lance]

As a non-smoker and someone who thinks the smell of cigarette smoke is disgusting, I cannot agree with this new law. This is just another attempt by the Bloomberg Administration and his city council to control damn near every aspect of people's daily lives. First, it was the trans fats, then the ill-fated large soda ban and now this. Bloomberg and his buddies can enact all the laws they want in the vein of protecting the health of its people, but it will not stop people from making decisions that are not conducive to good health. And that's on top of the other glaring issue of having cigarettes available for people 18-21 literally everywhere else. I can already see the appeals being filed.

[MHV9218]

Legalize marijuana. That's my contribution to the smoking discussion. Laters.

[KTrainExp]

Personally, I think cigarettes are gross, so I'm alright with this new law.

 

I don't like it when people throw cans away in a non-recyclable container, why don't I petition a law making it illegal and a finable offense then.

 

I am not a smoker, but it is mentality like this where what you believe is good, might not be good for another fraction of the population. This law will bring more bad than it will good, and it isn't like it's hard to find tobacco. Ask the neighbor next door if he'll give you a pack and you pay him a little extra for it. It is laws like this where kids will have a greater incentive to try tobacco now.

[bobtehpanda]

I don't think this law is going to be very effective anyways; anyone who was just going to do it casually instead of as a habit would've been priced out a long time ago.