Letters

Smoking age – a deeply illiberal measure

Bizarre inconsistencies inherent across our laws

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott

The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.

Wed May 15 2024 - 00:08

Sir, – At 16, a citizen of Ireland can apply for a firearm licence, drive a motor bike, and drive a tractor. At 17, one can drive a car and get free contraception from the HSE. At 18, one can marry. And despite all of that, one will now have to wait until 21 years of age to have the choice to enjoy that post-coital cigarette (“Tobacco sales: Raising legal age to 21 should be ‘stepping stone’ to complete phase-out, charity says”, News, May 14th). Of course one can vote at 18 too, and that might be an opportunity to express one’s concern for the bizarre philosophical inconsistencies inherent across our laws. – Yours, etc,

MARITA O’DONOVAN,

Dublin 14.

Sir, – Does this Government want to attempt to solve a problem, or merely pretend to do so? As a non-smoker, I have little to be personally upset about, but the nature of the solution seems performative, with commentary around unspecified research and even the Minister of Health referring to the prevention of sales to people already barred from purchasing tobacco (15 to 17 year olds).

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In making a list of what we can do at age 18, we can see a clear picture pointing to adulthood around decisions, civil liberties, and consequences applicable to you as an adult; you can vote, stand for election, join An Garda Síochána, get married, sit on a jury, smoke (for now), rent a house, give blood, go to jail, and buy alcohol. The list of things for a younger age include leaving school, consenting to sex, driving, flying a plane, deciding on medical treatment, and getting a job. Aside from being able to run for president (30), the list of things in Ireland for 21 or above is precisely zero from what I can find. What arbitrary notion should we use to decide people are children for smoking but adults for the everything else?

Smoking is a burden on our healthcare system but this is simply saying that we think smoking should be illegal but there are too many hurdles and issues with that for us to try. This anti-smoking measure is to placate the population into thinking something is happening and to use as a bullet point in an election campaign when nobody will oppose it and it can be sold as an “achievement”.

More dangerous is the implication about what else can be moved to later in life. Let’s give people personal responsibility, and accountability, for their actions. – Yours, etc,

BARRY O’REILLY,

Dublin 6W.

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