California raises smoking age to 21

[Marokai Backbeat]

I would actually be far more receptive to banning tobacco (which I still wouldn't support despite loathing the stuff) than I would be to raising the smoking age to 21, which on top of being wasteful of law enforcement resources and vindictive toward those of age who are already smoking, doesn't really accomplish much and having minimum age laws above 18 is just generally stupid. Overall though, I think society has done a hell of a job toward reducing the amount of smokers all without prohibition, and we can continue to do so. This is all just unnecessary nannyism. Well-intentioned, but dumb.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I think it would have been more effective to pass a law that bans people from suing tobacco companies for getting lung cancer, even though said people knew that smoking was unhealthy.

In addition to that, a law that bars smokers from qualifying for state funded health benefits would have been a good choice as well.

Option 2 is a bit much (if you are going to have state funded health programs, they should be available for everyone as everyone pays for it, including smokers and obese people), but yes, tobacco companies have plenty of warnings on their products and smokers know what they are getting into.

[SWE]

Seriously why would anyone smoke tobacco anyway? It's finksing disgusting and does NOTHING cool.

Why not smoke this instead?

Not being cool generally isn't grounds for something to be banned

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I think it would have been more effective to pass a law that bans people from suing tobacco companies for getting lung cancer, even though said people knew that smoking was unhealthy.

In addition to that, a law that bars smokers from qualifying for state funded health benefits would have been a good choice as well.

Because most 18 to 20 year olds would be worrying about such things? Time for to change to an L-CA avatar if you believe that. Even most full adults wouldn't think along such lines, let alone adolescents.

[cinyc]

The creeping infantilization of American adults continues.

That assumes that 18 to 20 year olds should be considered full adults. Personally, I don't think they should be, tho to be honest, I didn't think so when I was that age.

They either are full adults who can vote, be drafted into the army, enter into contracts and be tried as adults or they are children.  There should be no such thing as a partial adult who can vote and be drafted but can't drink or smoke.  The age of majority should be uniform.

[The Mikado]

The creeping infantilization of American adults continues.

That assumes that 18 to 20 year olds should be considered full adults. Personally, I don't think they should be, tho to be honest, I didn't think so when I was that age.

They either are full adults who can vote, be drafted into the army, enter into contracts and be tried as adults or they are children.  There should be no such thing as a partial adult who can vote and be drafted but can't drink or smoke.  The age of majority should be uniform.

Honestly, raising the military service and voting ages to 21 might make a lot of sense. The age should be uniform, though.

[CountryClassSF]

Why is it that the left so badly wishes to regulate what we eat, drink, and smoke (minus pot of course)?  There is a new left-wing fascism element here.

Meanwhile, here in the looney bin by the Bay, the Supervisors are discussing putting "warning labels" on soda pop!

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The creeping infantilization of American adults continues.

That assumes that 18 to 20 year olds should be considered full adults. Personally, I don't think they should be, tho to be honest, I didn't think so when I was that age.

They either are full adults who can vote, be drafted into the army, enter into contracts and be tried as adults or they are children.  There should be no such thing as a partial adult who can vote and be drafted but can't drink or smoke.  The age of majority should be uniform.

Honestly, raising the military service and voting ages to 21 might make a lot of sense. The age should be uniform, though.

Or if we want to Biblical age 20, tho the fact it's a nice round number is a better reason to choose 20 than because it's used in the Bible. That said, I don't see the problem with giving older adolescents some but not all of the rights and responsibilities of adults.

[RINO Tom]

Well, that's stupid.  If people want to destroy their lungs, let 'em.  There are already enough restrictions on where they can do it.

If you don't want to smoke, don't.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Doesnt matter anymore; as line between tobacco and being a teen is getting blurred.

People certainly are selling tobacco on street corners for reduced prices.  As it is becoming more socially acceptable; especially among latinos and blacks who are often in need of fash cash.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

And just an FYI, there were Republicans that voted in favor of this bill, so it's not like this was really a party line vote.

The fact that every single Democrat in the Senate voted for this is nuts.  And to think the motto of that body is "Senatoris est civitatis libertatem tueri."

[Oak Hills]

The creeping infantilization of American adults continues.

That assumes that 18 to 20 year olds should be considered full adults. Personally, I don't think they should be, tho to be honest, I didn't think so when I was that age.

They either are full adults who can vote, be drafted into the army, enter into contracts and be tried as adults or they are children.  There should be no such thing as a partial adult who can vote and be drafted but can't drink or smoke.  The age of majority should be uniform.

That first sentence is ridiculous.  Becoming an adult is inherently a very gradual process and one could reasonably argue that the rights and privileges of adulthood should be granted in stages.  I don't hold that view, but only because it would be too impractical to implement, and the decision on which things to allow at the youngest ages would likely be arbitrary, but talking about adulthood as an all-or-nothing state is absolutely absurd.

[Lief 🗽]

The idea that the right to smoke tobacco is some great PRIVILEGE OF ADULTHOOD that must be granted with voting rights and everything else is a joke, right? This is why libertarianism is stupid. Not everything is some inalienable right.

[DrScholl]

The idea that the right to smoke tobacco is some great PRIVILEGE OF ADULTHOOD that must be granted with voting rights and everything else is a joke, right? This is why libertarianism is stupid. Not everything is some inalienable right.

Libertarians are interesting people.

[CountryClassSF]

The idea that the right to smoke tobacco is some great PRIVILEGE OF ADULTHOOD that must be granted with voting rights and everything else is a joke, right? This is why libertarianism is stupid. Not everything is some inalienable right.

No one said it was an inalienable right. We just want you to stop sticking your nose into our lives. You can have your tofu and arugula and wheat/weed grass, and we can eat food that tastes good and smoke an occasional cig. Everyone's happy. 

[Illuminati Blood Drinker]

I like how the San Francisco resident is trying to castigate other people for supposed elitism.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The creeping infantilization of American adults continues.

That assumes that 18 to 20 year olds should be considered full adults. Personally, I don't think they should be, tho to be honest, I didn't think so when I was that age.

They either are full adults who can vote, be drafted into the army, enter into contracts and be tried as adults or they are children.  There should be no such thing as a partial adult who can vote and be drafted but can't drink or smoke.  The age of majority should be uniform.

OK then how about we make the drinking (and using marijuana) age 18, and ban tobacco outright. Perfectly consistent and logical. Two really awesome and fun drugs are legal for all adults, and that FINSKING DISGUSTING USELESS FILTH is banished.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

You can have your tofu [....] and we can eat food that tastes good

What kinds of tofu dishes have you had?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I think it would have been more effective to pass a law that bans people from suing tobacco companies for getting lung cancer, even though said people knew that smoking was unhealthy.

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/second-hand-smoke-fact-sheet

Anyways, they need to raise it several more decades, and only allow people on this list to buy.
http://www.grg.org/Adams/TableE.html

[Samantha]

Minors who smoke cigarettes illegally aren't going to be deterred from doing so because the smoking age was raised. All this does further criminalize the indiscretions of young people.

[CountryClassSF]

What kinds of tofu dishes have you had?

I don't care much for it. Usually just have it in Chinese/Thai soups

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

What kinds of tofu dishes have you had?

I don't care much for it.

The reason I asked was because often, not always but often, that's because somebody hasn't had many different kinds of tofu dishes.