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Cigarettes: can you buy or smoke them?

Original rare old german european cigarettes tin box walkure

Can you buy or smoke cigarettes? Yes and no. The law doesn t say that people under age 18 can t smoke cigarettes, cigarillos or cigars. But the law does have a lot of rules restricting your access to these products.

In Quebec you can t do these things

And if you do?

Under 18

At a point of sale (convenience store, gas station, etc.)

  • buy or accept free tobacco products
  • ask an adult to buy some for you

In other places

  • buy tobacco products
  • You aren’t breaking the law.
  • The person who provides you with tobacco products is breaking the law and could be fined!

At any age, like other people!

  • smoke inside and outside in some public places
  • You are breaking the law.
  • You could be fined!

Despite these restrictions, no law makes smoking illegal. Do you find this strange?

Why does the law stop you from buying tobacco products, but not prevent you from smoking? If the purpose is to prevent you from smoking or prevent the harm to your health, wouldn t it be better to ban all consumption of tobacco products?

Some people believe that making smoking illegal is not the solution. In their opinion, it s more efficient to restrict your access to tobacco products (through a price increase, for example) or help you make informed choices (through awareness campaigns about the harmful effects of tobacco, for example).

What do you think? Should the law do more to regulate the consumption of tobacco by people under age 18?