AAP: Make 21 Legal Age for Smoking and Vaping At the age of 18 you can go into the military. While in the military's boot camp, at the age of 18, you will be exposed to CS gas. At the age of 18, you can be ordered into harm's way by our politicians who sit behind a desk. While in harm's way you can be shot, taken hostage and beaten, blown up by various IED's (Improvised Explosive Device), rockets or whatever the enemy is using and at every step of the way you are facing DEATH. Yet the American Association of Pediatrics want to change the legal age for smoking and vaping to 21. "One of the main reasons for recommending raising the tobacco age is the effect of nicotine on the developing brain. Both the e-cigarette report and the tobacco report cite the neurotoxic effects of nicotine exposure, as well that earlier exposure makes the younger user more vulnerable to addiction. The authors cite the fact that 90% of current smokers started using tobacco products prior to being 18 years of age.""...is the effect of nicotine on the developing brain. ...." Pediatricians are more concerned about our 'children' smoking or vaping than serving in the military during this time of 'the developing brain'?
Who tried a cigarette before they were legally old enough to do so? What does raising the age really do, apart from criminalize kids? They're still going to get their hands on tobacco or vaping equipment, but if legally they can't do so until they're 21, it's just going to seem cooler. Holland has the best idea about this sort of stuff - most things are legal and the age that kids can participate actually discourages the kids from doing so: they're not trying to look older or cool, and so they tend to be more sensible. (I don't know their position on vaping though.)
It's a strange system that lets 18 year olds go off and fight but not vape. Like @Just Me says these restrictions do seem to make it more desireable "Don't tell me I can't do that, now I'm gonna hit it twice as hard!"
I say that 18 should be the legal age for everything: drinking, vaping, smoking, voting, military service, and so on. I never understood 18 for some things and 21 for others.
Would you include driving in that? Kids can be very dangerous behind the wheel (although it's probably best not to let them start drinking, driving, and voting on the same day)!
