I think I realized smoking was a pretty nasty habit after about the fourth time my mother tried quitting. After patches, gum and a recent attempt at switching over to vaporizers, mama is still sucking those straws of nicotine.
The point being — sorry for calling you out, mom — smoking can be disgusting.
California passed legislation raising the tobacco smoking age from 18 to 21 on Thursday, The Sacramento Bee reported. This means anyone under the legal drinking age is now prohibited from purchasing tobacco or tobacco-related products, notably including e-cigarettes.
California is only the second state to enact such legislation, with Hawaii being the first. While the West Coast is hammering away at tobacco’s hold on our nation’s youth, we’ve seen some change brought about locally in the past month or so as well. As of Feb. 15, those under 21 were no longer able to buy tobacco-related products in Boston, according to The Boston Globe.
Perhaps it’s just because this is the first time in my life that I’ve lost rights as an adult, but I’m a little concerned we might be seeing a national increase in the smoking age across the nation in the next year or so. With the nation finding the tobacco industry increasingly detrimental to our health, I find it likely that Democratic politicians may begin passing legislation similar to California’s and Boston’s in an effort to gain the public’s admiration.
Don’t take me the wrong way. I personally try to stay away from smoking squares, but I am going to miss my occasional visits to Sugar Daddy’s and other head shops around Boston.
That’s right — it is now illegal for me, and anyone else under 21, to enter stores that specialize in selling smoking products. A lot’s changed in a semester, Boston.
But back to California. The politicians who passed this law obviously had good intentions, but I don’t think much good is going to come from their efforts.
As a rebellious youth, I think I can understand why my mother and other people — or young people, I should say — are drawn to cigarettes in the first place. Besides the enjoyment one gets from a nicotine rush, it’s fun to be a little edgy.
Now that buying tobacco products under the age of 21 is illegal in California, Hawaii and some cities, including Boston, I wouldn’t be surprised if cigarettes became more popular among us crazy youths. After all, smoking a cigarette isn’t that exciting, but defying government in such a simple manner may be alluring to the defiant young adults among us.
According to the author of California’s bill, California Sen. Ed Hernandez, who I’m sure is a great guy at heart, the tobacco industry’s economic success “depends on their ability to market and sell their poison to our kids.”
Boston, let’s promise we won’t elect officials who lack insight. By the way, Ed, we, the collective body of 18, 19 and 20 year olds, are no longer, in fact, children.
It’s hard to be exact, but exactly 0 percent of California senators are under the age of 21. So by default, they could not possibly be the best representation of our age group.
Why, then, is it logical for a group of politicians to pass laws that affect such an underrepresented group of individuals? How about we take a Facebook poll instead?
Let’s be blunt for a second. I feel like the young adults of California, and Boston for that matter, are looking to smoke a different plant more frequently than tobacco. With growing acceptance of marijuana use and decline in the tolerance for tobacco products across the nation, is it necessary to banish me from Sugar Daddy’s — I really do love that place — to keep me from being poisoned by tobacco?
So, government, if we want to see an actual decline in tobacco consumption, particularly in young adults, just legalize the so-called “safer plant.” Statistically, a larger percentage of tobacco smokers are of age to purchase smoking products. How about only people under 21 can buy tobacco? I don’t think anyone under 12 realistically has the funds to support the habit anyway, so that curbs the number of hypothetical smokers even further.
Don’t stop us from buying our vapes, pipes, bowls, N02 chargers, rolling papers or anything else for the sake of tobacco. It’s like making a part of our culture — and almost all of California’s — illegal.
Sen. Hernandez, do you really expect me to wait two years if I break my bong?
Nothing significant happens at 18 though, at 21 there are more significant biological/emotional changes so logistically it makes more sense. I think the underlying problem is 18 is an arbitrary age. Why not have the smoking age at 16? You can drive, get a job, consent to sex (in 30 states).
You do realize that the governor hasn’t signed the bill, right?
Unlike drinking, which affects highway safety, smoking is a PERSONAL choice. If 18-year-old brains are too immature, legally for that, then 1. Why are they charged as adults for crimes? 2. What else are they not mature-enough to choose? To be held to contracts? Then what would that do for getting cars or apartments?
I see one of 2 things here. 1. A VERY slippery slope, or 2. Simple Zealotry on a single issue, NOT justified.
Pick one. 18-year-olds are responsible for what they choose or not.
If you can be kicked out of the house at 18. You should have the same rights as any other adult has.
I’m completely shocked.