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Legal smoking ages around the globe

Posted at 6:18 PM, Apr 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-28 20:12:42-04

On Wednesday evening, the Chautauqua County Legislature voted to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21-years-old. Lawmakers in the Town of Amherst, in Erie County, are exploring a similar proposal.

As a result, we decided to see how countries across the globe handle the tobacco debate.

England:

It is currently illegal to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18 in England.  However, the minimum age to smoke in public is 16-years-old.

France:

People of any age can smoke in France. However, it is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18-years-old. Before 2009, the minimum age to buy tobacco in France was 16-years-old.

Brazil:

People of any age can also smoke in Brazil, however, like France, the purchase age is 18-years-old.

China:

It is currently illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18-years-old in China. However, there is no definitive smoking age in that country. There was no age limit on purchasing tobacco in that the country before 2006.

Canada:

The current legal age to purchase tobacco is 19-years-old in most Canadian provinces with the exception of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta and Quebec. In these provinces, the legal purchase age is 18-years-old.

Do you think raising the tobacco age is a step in the right direction?  Here are early results from our Twitter poll.

To cast your vote, head to our Twitter page@WKBW.