Panelists and readers answered the following: Should the county, San Juan and Hollister officials consider changing the legal smoking age here from 18 to 21?
Cesar Flores: No. While we know smoking is not healthy, setting up more “laws” to restrict our personal freedom is not the answer. Educating the general public starting at a grade school level would be a better solution. Under the U.S Constitution, we are guaranteed LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. The “Pursuit of Happiness” is different for everyone. Isn’t that what this country is all about? Nants Foley To what end? These young adults can drive, vote and go to war and die for our country. They can make their own decisions. Perhaps raising the price is a more effective deterrent, if that is the goal.
Mary Zanger: Yes. I see nothing positive at all from smoking cigarettes. Industrial agriculture’s high usage of fossil fuels for production of tobacco with attending poverty wage jobs on one side to the high profits for the parent company corporations further widening the income gap while exasperating climate change threatens from the other side. Next consider the negative effects on four major diseases: cancer, heart disease, asthma and diabetes thus making a perfect storm of death.
Ruth Erickson: Tobacco advertising has been eliminated, many advertisements now show horrific side effects from smoking as a deterrence and various pharmacies have given up selling tobacco products. Raising the smoking and tobacco purchasing age from 18 to 21 is another good move. Better yet, let’s eliminate tobacco, but unfortunately, the tobacco lobby money seems to have too much clout in the political arena!
Valle Valtierra: Not just smoking but use of tobacco products.
Catherine Booth: No. Sometimes the best defense is no defense. That said, it is putting lipstick on a pig. Let’s just make everyone feel good by putting another law on the books—that the police dept doesn’t have the woman/manpower to enforce. San Benito has bigger problems to solve. San Benito Mental Health being the elephant in the room.
Kim Williams: Raise the taxes on cigarettes. It will create county revenue plus teens and adults will think twice before purchasing a pack at $10-$15, (it will set you back $16 to purchase a pack in Australia).
