Should we lower the smoking age to 16 and lower drinking age to 18?

Question

16 you are responisable enough to drive you should be able to smoke
if you can live on you won at 18 and join the army you should be able to drink

Think before you say No!

Answer 1

Yes, because it won't change what anyone does. It'll just reduce the amount we have to spend on catching and busting people who smoke and drink underage, without changing how many actually do it. If we want to reduce teen smoking and drinking, education is the only thing that will be consistently effective.

Your argument about military eligibility has no effective counter, in my opinion. If you can volunteer to go into combat, for heavensake you can decide whether to indulge in mild poisons for kicks.

Answer 2

Why would anyone with a working brain want to smoke in the first place?

As to drinking, I wouldn't be opposed to lowering the age. My thoughts are if you can be killed in Iraq at 18 you should be able to drink also.... but they should raise the age to enlist to 21.

Answer 3

I think they should raise the driving age and armed services age to 21 and make them the same all across the board for smoking and drinking, as well.

So no, I do not believe they should lower the drinking age. 16 year olds are not responsible enough to handle a car half the time, let alone handle a beer.

As far as smoking goes, I think they should outlaw it altogether.

Answer 4

Yes you should.

I'm Canadian and drinking age is 18 or 19 by province. I think we have a much better record in underage drinking than the US at 21. Many European countries have lower drinking ages, or no drinking age at all. IT makes youth responsible for their activity and not something to be glorified, rebellious and taboo. I'd rather have 19 year olds drinking legally in a bar, where they can be refused a drink and told they have had too much and by the way, don't frive home; instead of asking strangers to buy for them and drinking themselves blind in the bush or in their car.

Answer 5

I do. That is a GREAT idea. Kids are going to smoke and drink anyway, so they might as well. I agree with you 10000%. If you are old enough to die, you are old enough to drink. Old enough to be considered responsible to drive a car, your old enough to know the effects of smoking and make your own decision.

Answer 6

yes true we should lower the ages we are responsible at them ages ! ppl are age smoke and drink any way so its not a big deal

Answer 7

no and no. 16 year olds are no in position to make such a decision. im not saying that young people are "stupid", they are just too green and have terrible judgement. besides...smoking kills and so does alcohol when it's abused....why would you even think of arguing in favor of such things?

Answer 8

no, its bad enough we have raging alchoholics at 19 yrs old and its bad enough that we have druggies at 16