Oregon Raises the Smoking Age (fastcompany.com)

From a report: Some 95 percent of lifetime smokers pick up the habit before their 21st birthday, so Oregon lawmakers yesterday passed a law making it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase cigarettes in the hopes of nipping the bad habit in the bud. "By the age of 25, this addiction is cemented in the brain and it becomes very difficult -- almost impossible -- to quit," State Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, told KGW. Oregon is not the first state to do this, and it probably won't be the last. No one under 21 can (lawfully) buy cigarettes in Hawaii, California, Washington, D.C., and Guam to date. It also passed in New Jersey, but noted beachcomber Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the bill -- although it could still become law there. According to the American Cancer Society, at least 250 localities across the country have passed similar local ordinances.

Comments

Re:Nanny state socialism

[AK Marc]

Yeah, the reasonable law would be to raise the smoking age 1 year every year, no new smokers.

Terminology compounds the problem

[garryknight]

It's not a "bad habit," it's a drug addiction.

Re: Is this to save lives?

[SirSlud]

Because one act contributes to society while the other is costly to society.

Re:Are you over 21?

[Type44Q]

Your a freeloader, you use services other people's taxes pay for.

You really ought to pipe down; other peoples' taxes paid for your education and look what you fucking did with it...