Raise the legal age of smoking from 18 to 21.

Everyday, there is a teenager out in the world turning 18. At 18 you are free of your parents, and able to make decisions on your own. But to often, there is an 18 year old out there who is willing to sacrifice their own body and start smoking. Each day, 3,000 teenagers begin smoking; nearly 1,000 die as a result. Why would we be willing to allow teenagers to start killing themselves. According to the Surgeon's General, teenagers who smoke are 3 times more likely to use alcohol, 8 times more likely to smoke marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine. So, I think that the legal age of smoking should be raised to 21, giving the person time to live, on their own, without smoking. Then, at age 21, people can make the decision about whether they want to risk their lives by smoking.