# FILE NAME: 00002285.soc
# TITLE: Should the minimum age to purchase tobacco be raised to 21? [dd6aed1ed92ac5fde457ddf2713fed19]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 5
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - We have come to the conclusion that the minimum age to purchase tobacco should not be raised to 21. We believe that this is because tobacco is not an illegal substance and therefore the age limit should not be raised. We believe that if the age was raised to 21, people would find other ways to purchase tobacco and this could lead to them committing more serious crimes. We believe that the age limit should stay the same and that the government should focus on other ways to reduce the number of smokers in the UK. We believe that the government should look at the possibilities of putting tax up on tobacco products to make them more expensive and therefore discourage people from smoking. We believe that the government should also look at providing more education in schools to help children make more informed decisions on whether they want to smoke or not. We also believe that the government should increase the age limit for purchasing alcohol to 21 as we believe that this will help reduce the number of smokers in the UK.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - We have come to the conclusion that the minimum age to purchase tobacco should not be raised to 21. We believe that this is because tobacco is not an illegal substance and therefore the age limit should not be raised. We believe that if the age was raised to 21, people would find other ways to purchase tobacco and this could lead to them committing more serious crimes. We believe that the age limit should stay the same and that the government should focus on other ways to reduce the number of smokers in the UK. We believe that these ways include increasing the prices of cigarettes and tobacco and making sure that all cigarettes have plain packaging. We also believe that more advertising should be done to educate people about the dangers of smoking and that there should be more help available for people who want to quit.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - We have come to the decision that the minimum age to purchase tobacco should not be raised to 21. We believe that the age of 18 is a good age to be able to make your own descisions in life. If the age was raised to 21 then we believe that this would cause people to find other means of getting their hands on tobacco. We also believe that the age of 18 is a good age to be able to make descisions as an adult. We also believe that it would be unfair to the people who have already started smoking under the age of 21 as it would make it difficult for them to get hold of tobacco.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - We have come to the decision that the age for purchasing tobacco should not be raised to 21. The age for purchasing tobacco is 18 and this is a good age as it is when you become an adult. If the age was raised to 21 it would cause problems as people who are 18-20 would be unable to purchase it. This could lead to them seeking pleasure elsewhere and could see them increasing alcohol use or even using illegal drugs. We also believe that if the age was raised to 21 it would be unfair as people who are 18-20 would be unable to purchase it but those who are 21 would be able to. We also think that if the age was raised to 21 it would cause problems with the law as it would be illegal for 18-20 year olds to purchase it but it would also be illegal for 21 year olds to sell it to 18-20 year olds. We believe that the age for purchasing tobacco is a good age and should not be raised.
1: 2,1,3,4
1: 2,1,4,3
1: 1,2,3,4
1: 3,4,1,2
1: 4,3,2,1