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The US officially raises the tobacco buying age to 21
A new law in the United States that prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21 is now in effect, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.
Last week, President Donald Trump signed the new minimum age into law as part of a sweeping spending bill. On Friday, the FDA noted on its website that "it is now illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product -- including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes -- to anyone under 21. FDA will provide additional details on this issue as they become available."
The increased age restriction for tobacco purchases is one of several provisions outside of the spending measures themselves attached to the broader $1.4 trillion spending agreement.
Also at ABC.
Previously: California to Permit Assisted Suicide Starting June 9th, Could Raise Smoking Age to 21
California's Legal Smoking Age Set to Rise to 21
Tobacco Roundup
U.S. Surgeon General Decries Teenage Vaping
Oregon Becomes the Fifth State to Raise the Tobacco Age Limit to 21
San Francisco Bans E-Cigarette Sales
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 29 2019, @05:38AM (1 child)
This ^^.
I was driving a stick shift car (off the road) at age five and could have easily driven (with reasonable safely) in the light traffic around our neighborhood a few years later. But I certainly wasn't ready for other aspects of adulthood at that early age.
The whole idea of using fixed ages is pretty messed up, each instance is unique and when there are problems it might be best to let the court system decide if the kid involved should be tried (or protected) as a minor or as an adult. In many serious cases it seems like this is done anyway. Perhaps we could have tests that need to be passed before any kid is allowed to engage in adult activities--conceptually like the driving test (but in USA the driving test is a bad example because it's so easy).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 29 2019, @08:57AM
Easy for you. According to my friend that worked at the DOT in my state, the fail rate was surprisingly high. Something like 15% of people failed the written test and an additional 5% failed the driver's test. And that doesn't count the people who couldn't take the drivers test because their car failed the safety inspection. The worst offenders, according to him, were the hotshots in suits that would show up to get reinstated after their OWI and then fail miserably because they don't know basic things like always having to stop for school buses with their lights on, not to pass on the right, and what a double yellow painted lane divider means.