Voices Of Youth

Complications in raising smoking age

Recently, Parliament passed a Bill to raise the minimum age for smoking from 18 to 19 on Jan 1, 2019, and gradually each year to age 21 in 2021 (Minimum age for smokers to be raised to 19 in 2019; Nov 8).

Raising the minimum legal age gradually would have a negative effect on smokers born in the year 2000, as they would be allowed to smoke legally for a few months, after which it would become illegal until they grow older. They would have to quit smoking temporarily, which is quite a challenging thing to do.

I recommend that this Bill be rectified to ban youngsters born after a particular year from smoking until they turn 21 (for example, those born in 2000 and 2001 may be banned from buying cigarettes from 2018 and 2019 respectively until their 21st birthday).

This would be less complicated for cigarette vendors and also minimise the number of youngsters affected by the rise in minimum legal age.

Wee Yan Loong, 16

Secondary 4 student


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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 22, 2017, with the headline Complications in raising smoking age. Subscribe