Lawmakers in the New York state Assembly have voted to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21.
The legislation, which passed the Democrat-led chamber on Wednesday, prohibits the sale of tobacco, as well as electronic cigarettes, to anyone under 21.
That’s already the law in seven states and several cities around the country, including New York City.
The measure is backed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and has broad support in the Democrat-controlled state Senate, where it has yet to be scheduled for a vote.
Julie Hart of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network called the measure “common sense” and said it will reduce the number of young people who become addicted.
(AP)
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4 Responses
According to the greatest researchers, if someone made it to age 35 without becoming a smoker, the greatest odds are that he/she will never become addicted to alcohol or drugs ever. They should make the minimum age 35.
If our poskim would make the same public proclamations and the same consequences for smoking as they do for smartphones, we could lower the incidence of cancer and other dreaded diseases significantly.
Agree. But then we must also make available programs to help people quit. Studies in the past have shown that nicotine is just as addicting as heroin – and harder to quit because it isn’t illegal. I know personally, because when I quit 30 years ago it took me six tries and a bout of pneumonia. And that brings up the Purim issue:
DON’T GIVE CHILDREN AND BOCHRIM CIGARETTES ON PURIM – NOT EVEN “PLAY” ONES – AND DON’T LET THEM SMOKE IN YOUR HOUSE.
And the same for bochrim drinking – if they’re under 21 don’t give them anything, especially not schnapps. And make sure your own kids don’t get shikker. I remember when people said, “Shikker is a goy,” and it was almost unheard of for a shomer Shabbos yid to get drunk. Maybe times change, but for some things we don’t have to change with them.
My brother died at the age of 47 from cancer and he smoked a pack a day since he was 20. Granted it was brain cancer and smoking didn’t contribute to his death but whatever lets have the government regulate how someone wants to do with his own body…
Our body is not “ours.” It belongs to HaKadosh Baruch Hu and is only lent to us for our time on earth. We are obliged d’oraisa to take care of our health. Many poskim have now banned smoking, since its harmful effects are known. And death isn’t just a tragedy for the people who die. It devastates their families and friends. Only a selfish person would want to inflict that on their loved ones.
We are forbidden by the Torah to endanger our health, but there are also “practical” aspects. When someone develops a serious or ch”v fatal illness someone has to pay for the care. Most families don’t have the tens of thousands of dollars (if not hundreds of thousands) to pay for chemo, surgery, etc. Who pays? Society – whether through insurance premiums or taxpayer dollars. We are not free to do as we wish. The Torah sets us limits and guidelines, and common sense tells us what’s left.