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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: 2) by legont on Monday December 30 2019, @04:31AM (7 children)
I am not using helmet because it sends a wrong message, namely that bicycling is dangerous. It is dangerous all right, but, I believe, not bicycling is more so (diabetes, overweight, lack of crash training and so on). Ideally, a kid should have bike as the first choice of transportation always. Asking to always have a helmet with her is unrealistic.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday December 30 2019, @04:48AM (6 children)
In sentiment and principle I agree, but as for unrealistic? Around here, they give bike helmets away in public school, you could easily just leave it hanging on the handlebars and who's going to steal a crappy free bike helmet?
🌻🌻🌻🌻✌️ [google.com]
(Score: 2) by legont on Monday December 30 2019, @06:55AM (5 children)
Bike share is easy; helmet share is not. One has to carry helmet all the time for bikes to be really convenient.
Besides, "crappy free bike helmet" does not work. Helmets that do work actually have an expiration dates of 3-5 years.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday December 30 2019, @12:21PM (4 children)
The ones they give away around here are indistinguishable from the ones you buy in the fancy bike shops, except for a recognizable color scheme and a little "school free bike helmet program" logo on them. Through elementary school you can get a couple of them, I'm not sure about middle school. Point being: they're not really expensive to provide when you provide them like that. Sure, a specialty bike shop might charge $30 for a helmet you can buy in WalMart for $9.99, but if they are being mass produced and delivered to school children for free the actual cost drops well below $5 each, and if they really do prevent injury, $1 per year per kid is damn cheap insurance.
Now, if you're fortunate enough to live in bike-share country... that's foreign territory to me. Around here we just buy 'em cheap at yard sales, like less than $20 for a decent condition kid's bike. Even going concern for-profit outlets like pawn shops and thrift stores charge less than $50 for a decent 12-speed suspension bike with disc brakes. Bike theft of bottom-end bikes just isn't the concern here and now the way it was in the 1970s.
Meanwhile, specialty bike shops selling shiny new stuff that's otherwise not much better start around $700 and go up from there for "real quality" bicycles. It's one of the painfully clear illustrations of the modern wealth-gap.
🌻🌻🌻🌻✌️ [google.com]
(Score: 2) by legont on Monday December 30 2019, @09:09PM (3 children)
What I was trying to say is that a helmet have to be good, tightly tied, and fresh to be able to stop serious head injury. An old cheap helmet just handing on the head does not protect the head. In fact it offers false safety - provokes risky behavior while providing very little protection benefit.
I realize that bike helmet manufactures screw their customers. However, one still can find out some truth by researching motorcycle helmets. They are DOT certified and that certification has a helmet age limit. The reason is that light helmet' filling loses it's protective properties with time.
I believe that bad helmet is worse than no helmet and since almost nobody has good helmet, no helmet is always a better option; plus the "danger" message part which makes children fat and sick.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday December 30 2019, @09:55PM (2 children)
Well, like I said, the schools are giving out brand new ones, indistinguishable from the best available, for free.
Now, you're talking about all helmets, which I actually agree with.
There's a real difference between hitting the pavement at 12 mph and 60 mph, and you wouldn't want your neck to try to support a motorcycle helmet while riding a bicycle.
And, when I say "crappy school helmet" I'm not talking about one that has been crash-used multiple times. This is America, we throw away brand new shit just because it's out of style. Out of style doesn't mean non-functional.
🌻🌻🌻🌻✌️ [google.com]
(Score: 2) by legont on Tuesday December 31 2019, @12:08AM (1 child)
Just so we are on the same page, any modern helmet - and let me use ski helmet as another example - that was dropped on the floor should be replaced or it is useless in a crash.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday December 31 2019, @02:51AM
🌻🌻🌻🌻✌️ [google.com]