Cigarette Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Smoking age === {{main|Smoking age}} In the United States, the age to buy tobacco products is 21 in all states as of 2020. Similar laws exist in many other countries. In Canada, most of the provinces require smokers to be 19 years of age to purchase cigarettes (except for [[Quebec]] and the [[Canadian Prairies|prairie provinces]], where the age is 18). However, the minimum age only concerns the purchase of tobacco, not use. [[Alberta]], however, does have a law which prohibits the possession or use of tobacco products by all persons under 18, punishable by a $100 fine. Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and Pakistan have a nationwide ban on the selling of all tobacco products to people under the age of 18. [[File:Tabak-Trafik 12.2006.jpg|right|thumb|''Tabak-Trafik'' in Vienna: Since January 1, 2007, all [[cigarette machine]]s in Austria must attempt to verify a customer's age by requiring the insertion of a debit card or mobile phone verification.]] Since October 1, 2007, it has been illegal for retailers to sell tobacco in all forms to people under the age of 18 in three of the [[United Kingdom|UK]]'s four constituent countries (England, Wales, [[Northern Ireland]], and Scotland), rising from 16. It is also illegal to sell [[lighter]]s, [[rolling paper]]s, and all other tobacco-associated items to people under 18. It is not illegal for people under 18 to buy or smoke tobacco, just as it was not previously for people under 16; it is only illegal for the said retailer to sell the item. The age increase from 16 to 18 came into force in Northern Ireland on September 1, 2008. In the Republic of Ireland, bans on the sale of the smaller 10-packs and confectionery that resembles tobacco products ([[candy cigarette]]s) came into force on May 31, 2007, in a bid to cut underaged smoking. In October 2023 it was announced that the government proposed introducing a ban on sales of cigarettes to anyone born after 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Prime Minister to create 'smokefree generation' by ending cigarette sales to those born on or after 1 January 2009|date=October 4, 2023 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-to-create-smokefree-generation-by-ending-cigarette-sales-to-those-born-on-or-after-1-january-2009|access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref> Most countries in the world have a legal vending age of 18. In [[North Macedonia]], Italy, Malta, Austria, Luxembourg, and Belgium, the age for legal vending is 16. Since January 1, 2007, all [[cigarette machine]]s in public places in [[Germany]] must attempt to verify a customer's age by requiring the insertion of a [[debit card]]. Turkey, which has one of the highest percentage of smokers in its population,<ref name="NationMaster.com">{{cite web |url = http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_tob_tot_adu_smo-health-tobacco-total-adult-smokers |title = Total adult smokers by country |access-date = June 4, 2008 |publisher = NationMaster.com |archive-date = June 7, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080607074448/http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_tob_tot_adu_smo-health-tobacco-total-adult-smokers |url-status = live }}</ref> has a legal age of 18. [[Smoking in Japan|Japan is one of the highest tobacco-consuming nations]], and requires purchasers to be 20 years of age. Since July 2008, Japan has enforced this age limit at cigarette vending machines through use of the [[taspo]] [[smart card]]. In other countries, such as Egypt, it is legal to use and purchase tobacco products regardless of age.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} Germany raised the purchase age from 16 to 18 on September 1, 2007. Some police departments in the United States occasionally send an underaged teenager into a store where cigarettes are sold, and have the teen attempt to purchase cigarettes, with their own or no ID. If the vendor then completes the sale, the store is issued a fine.<ref>[http://www.abc.state.va.us/licensing/downloads/underagebuyer.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326205920/http://www.abc.state.va.us/licensing/downloads/underagebuyer.pdf|date=March 26, 2009}}</ref> Similar enforcement practices are regularly performed by [[Trading Standards]] officers in the UK, [[Israel]], and <!-- the Gardaí Siochana, the police force of --> the Republic of Ireland.<ref name=BBCYouth>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4205066.stm |title=UK | England | Bristol/Somerset | Retailers sell tobacco to youths |work=BBC News |date=September 1, 2005 |access-date=March 25, 2012 |archive-date=March 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313151744/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4205066.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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