And anyway, considering the harmful effects of Tobacco, wouldn't pursuing policies to make it less popular be helpful to the working class, considering money saved from buying cigarettes/later-life medical bills?
Well, if we did away with the ridiculous usage taxes tied to tobacco and alcohol, it would certainly lessen the financial burden on participating in an activity that people are going to participate in regardless of price. High usage taxes don't stop poor people from smoking, they simply either, A: Continue to purchase cigarettes and sacrifice on other things they wouldn't give up if we didn't have such ridiculous financial punishment tied to smoking in the first place, or B: Buy them from black market peddlers where no regulation of what's in the tobacco itself exist, and no money at all goes to fund (the already ridiculously overfunded) government quitting campaigns. I myself am working class and have pretty much chosen to give it up, but that was a conscientious personal choice I made because thankfully we live in an age where we know the health risks associated with smoking. But I didn't need the government to tell me I was too young to come to that conclusion (Even if they had, I would have just purchased it illegally like I do with alcohol.) I came to a decision based on my own thoughts, and encouragement from others.
The majority of smokers are working class. Every increase in cigarette taxes and every step toward making the product harder and harder to get is a step toward the further criminalization of working class life.
I think you're viewing the issue to narrowly, if anything these types of laws help working class people. As much as smoking may define 'working class life'
...
What the hell? There are hordes of working class people who don't smoke. Probably a majority based on smoking rates in general actually.
The point TNF is trying to make which I agree with, is that if the smoking age is raised, or additional taxes are levied on smoking, it only harms working class people. The ones who choose to smoke. It's the same thing with under 21's who like to drink. Most of us work extremely hard all day at school, work, or both, and we can't even partake in something that everyone else does legally. It's a system of
de facto prohibition on the young, just like the state of Hawaii seems to be attempting to impose. And the only class that most young people belong to (with the exception of rich kids) is the working class, which is exactly why this is criminalization of the working class.
I understand wanting to stop kids from smoking, I get that. But the age of majority in this country is 18 for f**k's sake.
Yes. This.
... No? Considering that you can work and become part of "the system" at 16, if anything we should be moving the other way with the age of majority. Even if we don't go that path, it at least needs to stay at 18, since this is when most people graduate high school and go off to college and all that moving onto making your own choices. Oh yes, and the fact that pretty much literally every country in the world has it at 18.
