Why The Latest Electronic Cigarette Law Makes No Sense

New E-Cigarette Age Law

After hearing about the new e-cig law that now stops anyone under 18 from purchasing an electronic cigarette I must admit I am a little confused, and by a little I mean massively confused!!

So from the way I understand it an individual who is under the age of 18 cannot purchase cigarettes nor can they be bought a packet by an adult, BUT they can still smoke them privately within the law. What? Honestly this really makes no sense to me what-so-ever. Either make it legal for 16 year olds to buy and use cigarettes or stop them from buying and using them at all. Personally I am all for the latter and think that the smoking age should be raised.

Jane Ellison, the Public Health Minister, said: “Two thirds of smokers say they smoked regularly before they were 18, showing that this is an addiction largely taken up in childhood.”

Other varying research into smoking and the age in which most people have their first cigarette shows us that the problem lies with teens. Due to either peer pressure or curiosity young teenagers start smoking cigarettes which can then lead to health or financial problems later on in adult life. I totally understand people who have been smoking for years and them finding it hard to quit as the same knowledge and awareness wasn't around 20-30 years ago but I don’t see why the smoking age is not raised to 21 in an effort to reduce the amount of smokers that start now. By this age an adult will be more aware and informed about the effects of smoking and will be less likely to start. It seems like such a simple solution to me but obviously I must be missing something...

So to get back to the point, if a 16 year old is still legally allowed to smoke then why can they not be allowed to purchase an electronic cigarette that would help them to kick the habit if they so wish to do so? If the smoking age was raised then I am fully in support of also raising the age to buy an e cigarette as there would be no reason to purchase one, but to raise the age in which a user can buy a device that would be a much healthier option than that of a cigarette that they can currently legally use makes no sense to me.