What is the minimum age for buying tobacco products
 

SA has just introduced legislation which raises the age from 16 to 18 years in buying tobacco products. This got me wondering what it was in other countries.

They have also banned tobacco companies from promoting or sponsoring any event unless such sponsorship is done anonymously.

No tobacco products can be sold in health or educational facilities.

We already have legislation which bans smoking in public places such as theaters, shopping malls etc. Restaurants have to have smoking areas.

Plus there has to be warnings on all tobacco products that it is detrimental to your health together with further new regulations compelling manufacturers to display ghastly images of people suffering from smoking-related diseases to create public awareness on the dangers of smoking.

Used to be 16 here too, now 18.

18 in the US.

18 in the UK

Not sure whether it is still 16 over here. I heard they wanted to raise the age, so maybe it's 18 by now (I don't smoke so I don't care much).

We have the warning labels too and restaurants must have separated smoking-areas (until some judge kills that new law again...:roll:).

Tobacco-products also mustn't be advertised on tv.

Now 18 in Germany for sure, Schroeder. ;)

I think it should be raised to 21, though. Medical statistics show very signficant that if you haven't turned a young person into a smoker by his early 20s, probability that she/he will become a smoker later in her/his life falls by a hopping 80%, or even more.

that'S why tobacco industry was bombarding the young ones with tailored adverts so vehemently. they knew that if they have not turned them into addicts before 20, the battle is lost for them most of the time.

Would like to see alcohol being sold to 21 or older only, too, maybe beer and vine for those being 18-21 only in presence of adult parents (if the the parents are not medically classified as alcoholics). seeing all the youngster drinking like crazy at times annoys me and breaks my heart at the same time. Most people simply are nopt really grown up with 18, and at that age you tick differently, and simply often do not know what you are doing. Not to mention that you do not care. softdrinks including alcohol should be banned and forbidden altogether, period.

18 here - but then, so's alcohol.

Tobacco companies cannot advertise at all; tobacco products must not be visible to the consumer in a store (You have to specifically ask for a brand), you cannot smoke inside a public building, including restaurant and bars, or withing 9 meters of the door to a public building such as a school or hospital.

They should just ban the stuff altogether. But I guess they make too much money off taxes.

I'm not sure that would help; people around here start smoking around 14 anyway... It's pretty easy to get smokes even when you're underage.

In Hong Kong -- 18

However, a minimum age helps nothing in stopping teens from buying tobacco. They may ask someone to buy the cigarette for them, or if they are tall enough, they can simply buy it themselves since nobody gonna check his identity card everytime they buy cigarette and the sales judge their age by their outlook only. Furthermore, some retailers choose to keep a blind eye to this type of activity in order to avoid offending their customers and hurt sales

So, although it may be a good suggestion, I'm afraid that Skybird's idea might not work. Education, might be better, but the overall effect is still low as the youngsters just take it as "propaganda" and dismiss them

18 in España

HunterICX

same here just went up from 16 to 18

The way food prices are going up here it wont be long before cigs are cheaper than food. :rotfl:

I think that it's 18 here and Ontario has just passed a law requiring all stores that sell cigarettes to hide them behind an opague shield. While I support measures that discourage kids from smoking (I won't buy for, or even give a cigarette to anyone who looks under 25) I think this is a bit over the top. Kids will always get cigarettes if they're determined enough & there are plenty of unscrupulous corner store owners who will sell to them. The government seems a bit hypocritical as well; considering all the tax revenue they receive from tobacco products.

I guess that they're worried that people are becoming obese & are encouraging them to lose weight...:D

Loose weight via lung, mouth, throat and many more cancers from smoking. Well there goes the NHS to the wall, no wait minute it already has.