California to raise smoking age to 21!!!

[Hekate]

19. Prohibition of alcohol was a resounding failure. Tobacco would be as well. As for the rest....

...of your argument, it has nothing to do with "who you are," but strictly how old or young you are.

Society is responsible for the health of children, and there are recognized states of growth. The human brain is not fully developed until at least 21. We don't let 10 year olds drink alcohol or drive cars or smoke. Legal recognition of Adulthood used to be achieved gradually for a reason, ie as judgment increases.

How young exactly do you think it is okay to allow youngsters to drink and smoke legally? I mean, so it wouldn't suck? My brother, the one with the emphysema, started smoking at 13. Nothing like getting an addiction you can never kick just because you are a rebellious boy who wants to look grownup.

Someone who uses a phrase like "having separate laws that depend on who you are sucks" is probably not going to be impressd by studies that prove that if you can manage to keep kids from smoking until they are 20, they never begin smoking. Their judgment by that time has increased sufficiently to recognize the risks, and it looks a lot less attractive.