New Jersey may raise the legal age to purchase tobacco to 21 (from 19); will be first in the nation - Polidicks

[quote]New Jersey could become the only state in the country to prevent anyone under the age of 21 from purchasing tobacco products under a measure passed Monday by the state Senate. The bill, backed by a super majority of senators, would levy a $500 fine against retailers who sell tobacco products or electronic cigarettes to those under 21. A second offense would carry a $1,000 fine. Retail trade groups testified against the measure, which puts the onus on their members to check identifications, rather than on the minors who attempt to purchase cigarettes. The Garden State already is one of the states with the highest smoking age in the country, 19. Three other states — Utah, Alaska and Alabama — also prohibit sales to anyone under 19.[/quote] [url]http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/07/01/new-jersey-smoking-age-could-be-raised-to-21/[/url]

it will be interesting to see what effect this has on teen smokers. i wouldn't be surprised if it went down and new smoker rate also went down

To be honest I don't think it's gonna change most people. Nobody waits until they're 19 to start smoking. It makes it harder to acquire sure but this seems like it might have a chance of just increasing the rate of under age smoking without much other effect

[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;48302214]it will be interesting to see what effect this has on teen smokers. i wouldn't be surprised if it went down and new smoker rate also went down[/QUOTE] Why would it? It's not like teens buy their smokes legally.

Keep in mind this isn't the smoking age, just the legal age to purchase. It is still legal in New Jersey to smoke at age 18 and will continue to be so under this law change.

Actually, making it harder to get might lower the rate because I didn't really get hooked on cigarettes until I could buy them myself, just the same way I wasn't a big fan of drinking until I could get it myself.

Just do what we did in Australia... Tax the absolutely fuck out of it to the point that you need a successful small business to support your addiction.

[QUOTE=Bradyns;48302249]Just do what we did in Australia... Tax the absolutely fuck out of it to the point that you need a successful small business to support your addiction.[/QUOTE] that also just promotes a black market. i know a lot of people here who buy illegal cigarettes or get american cigarettes for a third of the cost.

The less people getting cancer and spreading it around, the better.

[QUOTE=Bradyns;48302249]Just do what we did in Australia... Tax the absolutely fuck out of it to the point that you need a successful small business to support your addiction.[/QUOTE] Won't work in US. Tobacco companies won't be too happy with such a decision and they have quite some power in a capitalist world.

[QUOTE=Bradyns;48302249]Just do what we did in Australia... Tax the absolutely fuck out of it to the point that you need a successful small business to support your addiction.[/QUOTE] Its taxed to fuck in my state.

[QUOTE=Bradyns;48302249]Just do what we did in Australia... Tax the absolutely fuck out of it to the point that you need a successful small business to support your addiction.[/QUOTE] It's already like that, to a point. Doesn't stop most smokers and kids that illegally get their hands on it won't care anyway.

[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;48302253]that also just promotes a black market. i know a lot of people here who buy illegal cigarettes or get american cigarettes for a third of the cost.[/QUOTE] And America is still far from the cheapest place to get them. My friends from Saudi would always bring over 10+ cartons because american made and imported cigarettes are almost a third of the price there.

if you WANT to shoot heroin, you're going to shoot heroin. if you WANT to smoke crack, you're going to smoke crack. if you WANT to smoke cigarettes, you're going to smoke cigarettes. regulating isn't really going to change the fact that people are going to do whatever the fuck they want to do. may make it more inconvenient? sure. is it going to stop people from doing what they want to do? no.

[QUOTE=Slippery-Q;48302333]if you WANT to shoot heroin, you're going to shoot heroin. if you WANT to smoke crack, you're going to smoke crack. if you WANT to smoke cigarettes, you're going to smoke cigarettes. regulating isn't really going to change the fact that people are going to do whatever the fuck they want to do. may make it more inconvenient? sure. is it going to stop people from doing what they want to do? no.[/QUOTE] It will stop Highschool seniors from buying cigarettes and giving them out to whatever younger kids 14-17 in the lower grades will pay for them.

Been that way in my town since February. It's stupid because 18 year olds can sell the cigarettes, but are unable to purchase them.

Uhhh Hawai'i already did this. Takes effect here Jan 1st 2016 [url]http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/20/us-usa-hawaii-tobacco-idUSKBN0P006V20150620[/url]

tobacco should be illegal at all ages anyway

[QUOTE=Trixil;48302451]tobacco should be illegal at all ages anyway[/QUOTE] Why, because it gives you cancer and health problems? So does booze, so does excessive suger, so does excessive caffine, so does car exhaust, so does excessive sun light, etc. People like to smoke, they like the way it makes them feel and they like the taste. If they can't do that in moderation, that's their own fault. Let people make decisions for themselves instead of having someone else force them.

just make it 18 and let people make their own decision if they want to die of lung cancer or not it's absurd that I can be trusted to kill another person, judge somebody guilty or innocent, fight in the military, raise a child, raise multiple children, adopt a child, buy a vehicle, own a business, run for government, take care of an animal, or do anything that adults can do anywhere in the world... but I can't make the decision to buy cigarettes or alcohol Just make everything a flat 18 and leave it there. Increasing this does nothing at all to discourage smoking - if anything it makes it more illustrious and attractive to younger people. Just make it a flat 18, tax it, and be done.

[QUOTE=Trixil;48302451]tobacco should be illegal at all ages anyway[/QUOTE] I disagree. If someone's smoking alone, without second hand smoke going to anyone else, there is no reason to not let them do it. Absolutely none. It's their choice.

[QUOTE=Trixil;48302451]tobacco should be illegal at all ages anyway[/QUOTE] And what does that solve?

[QUOTE=JCDentonUNATCO;48302390]It will stop Highschool seniors from buying cigarettes and giving them out to whatever younger kids 14-17 in the lower grades will pay for them.[/QUOTE] Yup yup yup That was my only issue with cigarettes being legal at 18 It made it way too ridiculously easy to buy cigarettes because you'll make friends that are 18 or over because of highschool.

This isn't going to make much of an impact, tobacco targets users under the legal age anyways. There are plenty of stores that will sell to teens sometimes or there will be kids asking people to buy it for them. Also, there is always the option to steal the cigarettes from a family member. Raising the age limit does not have much of an effect people might think.

[QUOTE=FingerSpazem;48302535]Yup yup yup That was my only issue with cigarettes being legal at 18 It made it way too ridiculously easy to buy cigarettes because you'll make friends that are 18 or over because of highschool.[/QUOTE] You can be 18, and not have any tobacco products on your persons or vehicle on the school property. edit Thinking about it, you'll probably be less inclined helping some 14-16 year old get a pack of cigarettes at 21

[QUOTE=Richard Simmons;48302595]You can be 18, and not have any tobacco products on your persons or vehicle on the school property. edit Thinking about it, you'll probably be less inclined helping some 14-16 year old get a pack of cigarettes at 21[/QUOTE] You can be 18 and disregard all of those rules. You can't disregard a gas station attendant from denying you your pack of cigs

I started smoking at 15, and everyone I knew at the time who smoked, myself included, would either use an easily and relatively cheaply obtained fake ID, or just find a sketchy convenience store to sell to us. I think people underestimate how easy it is to obtain cigarettes underage, and measures like this just seem like merely a feel-good band-aid solution to a complex issue, while at the same time pushing people to support criminal enterprise.

[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;48302214]it will be interesting to see what effect this has on teen smokers. i wouldn't be surprised if it went down and new smoker rate also went down[/QUOTE] Are you serious? Teens are going to smoke regardless of when the government says so. What they should do instead is pass a law to further criminalize the supplying of tobacco to underage people. Not the victimless act of smoking a plant as an adult

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;48302246]Keep in mind this isn't the smoking age, just the legal age to purchase. It is still legal in New Jersey to smoke at age 18 and will continue to be so under this law change.[/QUOTE] Isn't there a federal law dictating the smoking age regardless

I have a feeling it won't do anything noticeable, since I'm sure underage people who really want tobacco products will find ways to get them anyway. But, whatever, if my state wants to do it, fine, it's not like it really affects me, though it still seems like a strange choice if they go through with it.