There are no exceptions for active military personnel or veterans between the ages of 18 and 20.8, as was previously the case in some states.9 Despite this flexibility for states, Congress retains the power to use financial and tax incentives to promote certain alcohol policies, such as the legal drinking age. The Uniform Federal Drinking Age Act of 1984 sets the legal drinking age at 21, and every state adheres to this standard. Research has shown (cigarette manufacturers did, I remember) that most smokers start before the age of 18 and if you can stop people from smoking until they`re older, they`re much less likely to become smokers. The public interest is that smoking-related diseases are very expensive to treat and weigh heavily on state/federal funding of Medicaid. So if you don`t care about other people dying from smoking-related diseases, consider the fact that you`re paying for the medical costs of their preventable illnesses. Motorcycle helmet laws exist to prevent people from hurting themselves (and to reduce the public cost of treating their injuries). With the passage of federal law T21, there have also been corresponding updates to the Synar program. To receive their block drug grants, states and territories must now report illicit sales to people under the age of 21, whether or not they have increased their own MLSA to 21.5 Why does the U.S. really have a higher drinking age than any other country? Those who are against smoking and in favour of raising the legal smoking age do not seem to understand the argument presented to them for keeping it low. They look at the cigarettes and say, “Well, that`s just stupid. It`s unhealthy and they commit suicide. was founded on the principles of “freedom,” and even after my family nurtured these ideals of “freedom” in me, I learned what it really meant twice, in the US PA government and in European history class.

“Life, freedom, property” and “life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness” are the two phrases that come to mind when I think of these topics. I`m not going to mention the two people who wrote it, I`m going to let those of you who don`t know how to do your own research (if you don`t have even the most basic knowledge of our nation`s founding history and values, then I don`t think you should really discuss political issues). People who smoke and want the smoking age to remain the same (or even lowered) feel that the government is hindering either their “pursuit of happiness” or perhaps their “property” by telling them not to smoke. These are actions that the government should not take. Now, I understand that it can be argued that the government is protecting people`s “lives” by raising the smoking age, and that`s valid, but I think most of the comments I`ve seen have been statements like “Smoking is stupid and unhealthy!” This seems to me to be a completely anti-intellectual and inappropriate way of debating government policy. So I`m posting this in hopes of directing further comments to a more civilized level of discussion. Smoking should be banned in any case! Absolutely useless. For those who say “calm me down”, “help me keep my weight”, this is crap. Once you`re addicted, you`ll need another one to “calm the addiction,” so if you never start, there would be no “nervous tendencies.” If you want to keep your weight low, be careful about what you eat and exercise excuses! Good luck! The minimum age to buy tobacco in the U.S. prior to 2019 varied by state and territory.

As of December 2019, the smoking age is 21 in all states and territories after the federal law passed in Congress and was signed by President Donald Trump in December 2019. Whether or not someone agrees to smoke or drink at the age of 18, if an American can reach the legal voting age, they have the opportunity to live as a responsible adult. In a democratic society, voting is important and often determines the destiny of the nation. The president is the commander-in-chief, has executive power, and is the international face of the United States. By giving young people the right to vote, the government gives them a great responsibility that can affect the nation. It`s just a push to make smoking 21+, so when pot becomes legal, it will be an easy change. A purchase age of 21 is consistent with alcohol laws. Raising the legal drinking age to 21 has helped reduce drunk driving deaths and reduce alcohol dependence among adolescents.

The case for nationalizing the legal drinking age is more convincing. When states had different age limits, young people drove to neighboring states that had a lower minimum age and then returned to their home states after drinking, putting themselves and others at risk. The federal law was heavily pushed by mothers against drunk driving, which gave the measure both emotional and rational appeal. The use of tobacco products does not pose this type of direct risk. Nationalizing the minimum purchasing age would require a change in federal law, and I don`t see Congress responding to that anytime soon. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Many high school students would live to age 18 — the previous legal age to buy tobacco and e-cigarettes in most states — during their senior year of high school. They often bought tobacco and e-cigarettes for young students.

First, the fact that Hawaii has passed this law is a strong signal to young people that people there view tobacco as a dangerous product and strongly disapprove of its use. Smoking is now stigmatized, and the passage of this law reinforces that. Second, one of the objectives of the law is to make it even more difficult for young people to buy these products illegally. With the legal purchasing age of 18, employees who are expecting a 15- or 16-year-old don`t always think about checking ID, but at 21, they`re more likely to think the customer is too young and then think about checking. Research has shown that the current law has helped reduce alcohol-related traffic injuries and alcohol use among adolescents while protecting drinkers from the long-term negative consequences they may experience as adults, including addiction to alcohol and other drugs, adverse pregnancy outcomes, suicide and murder. In 1999, New Zealand lowered the legal age of purchase from 20 to 18 and subsequently saw an increase in the number of road accidents and injuries among 15- to 19-year-olds.