ToW 20: Raise the Legal Age for Cigarette Sales to 21

     This article that appeared in the New York Times from their editorial board, and outlines an argument for raising the legal cigarette purchase age to 21. Some of the main points are that it would help to prevent cigarette addiction from taking root in a still-developing brain, as well as prevent those under the age if eighteen from gaining access to cigarettes, as they usually get them from sligtlynolder friends and relatives, who would be old enough to purchase cigarettes for minors, but still too young to recognize the damage it may cause. It's estimated that this law would prevent over 200,000 premature deaths due to cigarettes, as well as collectively add over 4 million years of life, claims the article.

     The use of hard facts in the article helps with its purpose, which is to convince the general population that raising the legal age is a good idea. It also utilizes counter-argument by bringing up arguments against itself, such as the idea that this law would infringe on young persons' rights, and then countering these arguments, such as by stating that there was clear public support.

     Overall, the article argues very well that the higher legal age would be a very good idea, and that it should be implemented and enforced, and even brings up states such as Hawaii that have already done so, and improvements that they've seen.