[Phantom Lord]

From what I understand it is NOT illegal for a 13 year old to buy cigarettes or posses them. It is only illegal for someone to sell them cigarettes.

The law forbiding the sale of cigarettes to minors is not a failure. The failure is that it is NOT illegal for minors to purchase cigarettes. Pass laws and start fining minors who attempt to purchase cigarettes and minors caught with them in their possesion and it will cause a reduction. Not a great deal of reduction though, as most of the activity would just move 'indoors'. But you will no longer have a gang of 15 year olds at the mall entrance puffing away, and that would be a good thing.

[LetsRok]

Exactly. Possesion of cigarettes by minors should be illegal. Any adult who sees a child with a cigarette should have the authority to confiscate them immediately.

[Dakmar]

Your rational is wrong. The reason children aren't allowed to buy cigarettes is they are too young to make an intelligent choice of whether or not to smoke. Punishing them for violating laws which exist only to protect children from their own lack of judgement does not make much sense to me.

[Gabz]

The law forbiding the sale of cigarettes to minors is not a failure. The failure is that it is NOT illegal for minors to purchase cigarettes.

Exactly - it is only illegal to sell them to a minor not a minor purchasing in most jurisdictions.

Pass laws and start fining minors who attempt to purchase cigarettes and minors caught with them in their possesion and it will cause a reduction.

Florida takes it a step further - subesequent offenders are subject to possible loss of their driver's licens.