UK plans to pass law banning anyone born after 2008 to buy cigarettes

Grapeg:

In the case of drunk driving the persons whose safety is being risked are the victims.

Not quite, they could be the victim, not must be the victim.

But I agree drunk driving is not the best example, how about seatbelts or helmets while you ride a motorbike?

Grapeg:

The claim that the taxpayers are the victims of smoking is ridiculous since the same argument could be used for any activity whatseover.

Which activity for example?

Grapeg:

Good point, why should they be picked on?

They advertised their products as healthy, trying to advertise them towards kids, bought scientists to make “studies” that prove their claims, making their product by design more unhealthy and addictive and so on.

tooinfinity:

But to have faith in the uk government to handle anything other than a bribe with intelligence is even more dumb

What would you do instead of this law? I talked already with @PurpleDime how complex this might actually be.

seize:

Genuine question: can you, or other forum members, demonstrate an example of past, successful legislation which foes not simply restrict an activity/market based on age, but also bars anyone not of a specific age by an arbitrary date from ever partaking in this now restricted activity/market?

Firstly it is not arbitrary, there is a reason behind it. Secondly the EU’s Second Driving Licence Directive created permanent cohort differences in many member states. Drivers who qualified before specific dates (mostly 1997) automatically hold category, towing heavier trailers, driving minibuses, riding larger motorcycles , that later cohorts must take additional tests to acquire. This is person-based, date-based, permanent, and applies continent-wide.