Watch: San Francisco rules out selling cigarettes to under-18's
San Francisco in the US has voted to prohibit 18-year-olds from consuming or purchasing cigarettes. Should South Africa follow suit?
Buzzfeed reports that the San Francisco Supervisors Board in the US had a vote to increase the legal age for tobacco products from 18 to 21.
The decision to have this vote was influenced by Hawaii, Boston and New York's tobacco decision to change their legal age for tobacco to 21.
This decision was met with resistance by opponents who did not agree with the consensus of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
The Institute of Medicine has reported that approximately 90% of first time smokers have already experimented with tobacco by the age of 19.
Since South Africa’s minimum age for drinking and smoking is 18, should our laws also change? Consider that the average 18-year-old in this country is still in high school - matric more than likely - and is looking to go either enter the job market early or to a tertiary institution for their formal education.
Would you vote to raise the minimum age for smoking and drinking in South Africa to 21? Let Martin know #MBDShow
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