"Do you think America should change the age restrictions on drinking and buying cigarettes?"

America should change the age restrictions that they have for buying cigarettes and alcohol because they are more damaging than helpful. Since cigarettes and alcohol are highly addictive and not good for you whatsoever, some people think putting age restrictions on these things will help keep young people safer when in reality it just makes young people want to use them more. If young people were able to be exposed to these things then they will be less likely to develop an addiction and will be able to control their intake better. As long as they are in a safe space with family and the decision to try them is amicable then they should be able to experiment with alcohol and cigarettes. 

It's important that people in their teens and tweens are exposed to alcohol and cigarettes so when they grow up they will have control and won't develop a serious addiction. If you restrict these things teens are more likely to sneak around the laws and use alcohol and cigarettes which could be very dangerous depending on the situation.  So we also should have some empathy and grace when we call kids “troubled” for being curious about these kinds of things because restriction only causes curiosity. If they got to experience these things in a safe environment with their own family it would be more optimal for them. Some people wait all 21 years to try cigarettes/alcohol that when they do they can get really addicted really fast since they've never experienced that kind of high before. It’s safer for young people when smoking and drinking in moderation at a young age is legal and normalized because it gives them experiences, helps them control themselves in the future, and lets them know their limits.

There shouldn't be a 21+ age limit on cigarettes and alcohol because teens and tweens should be allowed to try them when they are younger with their family because it is safer. When parents let their children experiment and show kids how they have  healthy relationships with these kinds of substances, the kids will more likely try to emulate their parents' healthy relationships with the substances. Parents should also educate their kids on the dangers of cigarettes and alcohol so they won't want to do it as much. With education and moderate use of cigarettes and alcohol young people will have much better experiences with these things which will help them in life.