YouthNet blog
An insight into youth issues, volunteering trends, charity life and more from the UK charity YouthNet
All | Events | Youth | Technology | Volunteering | YouthNet | Charity World
Friday Jan 05, 2007
Much too young?
As people struggle to give up smoking for the New Year, the government has given young people a helping hand with the announcement that under-18s will be banned from buying cigarettes in England and Wales from 1 October 2007.
The news created very few waves (partly because it came on New Years Day), although there is an interesting debate on TheSite.org's discussion boards.
Perhaps most people are simply perplexed about what you can and can't do at certain ages. At the age of 17, for example, you can drive or get a pilot's licence. But you won't, after October, be able to buy cigarettes. At 16 you can get married but you can't watch porn. Or vote.
The anomalies are well known but nothing seems to be done about them. Wouldn't it be easier, and more honest, to set a single age where a child, in the eyes of the law, becomes an adult?
Posted by Tom Green ( 10:55 AM ) Link to this post Comments[0]