Two 14 year old boys asked me to buy a pack of cigarettes for them.

Today I bought some groceries and just before I reached my scooter two teenage boys came up to me with the question how I was doing. Being surprised with their concern about my walk in life I answed them I could and should not complain.

But then the monkey came out of their sleeves.. (dutch expression). Soon after my answer to their question a second question came. One of the boys asked me if I wanted to do something for them. Being a little streetwise myself I answered it would depend on their request.

The boy asked me if I would buy them a pack of smokes. Remembering the way I was at their age I know they were in a tight spot and wanted those smokes badly. So after a millisecond of thoughts I agreed to help them out... Being a good citizen I warned them about the dangers of smoking before I handed them the cigarettes.

If these boys would have asked me to buy them a bottle of wiskey I would have refused. So the argument for helping them because the next person would help them anyways doesn't hold water.

What would you have done.. Do you think I should have refused to help them.. and please tell me why if so?

Thx..

Since I detest smoking and have never done so, I certainly wouldn't have. Probably would have told them to wait a few years before ruining those lungs. Don't care if I get called lame or get cursed at either, addictions can wait until later in life. Not all impulses need fulfillment.

I would't now because of 2 reasons...

1.I did the same thing at that age and 20 years later I still can't quit. It costs me $5400 a year and I hate it.

2. Too many cops set people up like that in my state, but usually with alcohol.

Having said that you would have been my hero at the time though.

That's a tough one

I would'nt have done it for a couple reasons.
As a smoker it is expensive and too hard for me to quit and secondly the fines for contributing would be expensive.
Personally I don't see how or why kids would want to start anyway considering smokes are real expensive nowdays?

a reply to: zatara

Say yes, ask for the money, go in the shop, buy a copy of "woman's weekly" and a bottle of water. Give that to them and tell them you're hard of hearing....sorry.

No I would not have....the days of helping kids be kids is gone.....You can go to jail for selling ,supplying or helping a minor buy cigarettes or alcohol in some states...or other states fine you a hefty fine ( usually $5,000. ) and can take your license or any license you have for a profession . Ie: nursing, CDM, legal, Realestate, driving license..the ATF organization frowns upon this, which is why they are cracking down on 7-11 and convenience stores. They do stings all the time.....and ....you don't know how responsible these kids are. They could burn something down and trace it back to you...especially if there's a security camera outside the store. ...so no, not in today's society would I help them. Years ago I would have.

Here's an after thought....." Would you want a stranger buying your kids cigarettes?"

a reply to: zatara

Once I was hiking a trail in a remote area of the park with a friend and two young men (around ten or eleven) approached us and the older boy asked if we could spare a cigarette. He had long brown hair and was obviously of Native American descent, was very respectful and very polite, and quite mature for his age.

I discussed the aforementioned points with my friend (also of Native descent) and he said he seemed worthy and it should be alright. We kicked the kid down a smoke and he thanked us politely. The younger boy refused the offer saying he didn't smoke, and we both told him that was wise and not to start. When the older boy whom we had given the tobacco to lit up, it was obvious he was respectful and aware of the plant and it's ritual use, so we knew we had made a good decision.

But, it should be noted - that was a unique experience.

Around that time period I was working at a small tobacco and gift shop, and we had street kids come in all the time asking for cigarettes. As it is against the law to sell tobacco to minors, I held true to that mandate and never sold or gave those kids cigarettes on the clock. If they asked me on the street I would interrogate the heck out of them and if they passed the "maturity test" to my satisfaction, what the heck -I'd kick one down with the caution "you know those things are gonna kill ya."

Trust your instincts. You know what's right.

a reply to: zatara

What would you have done.. Do you think I should have refused to help them.. and please tell me why if so?
'

Maybe I would have or not,

but as I handed them the smokes I'd hold onto them for a second to get them to look at me and say, "These things killed me, I just haven't died yet". Then exhale my emphysema sounding breath at them.

I would have bought it for them, but I would have driven them to a different store to make sure it wasn't a setup, and I would have doubled the price of the pack for my own gain.

a reply to: zatara

If I was one of their parents and I some how found out it was you that gave them the smokes we would have words.

What you did was not cool in my opinion.

Would you go into a pawn shop and buy them a gun too?
Might as well have.......................

Not a chance in hell would I.

Did the same when I was much younger.

I started smoking when I was 9 years old - thought I was big, hard and clever.
Still smoking 40 years later......and of all the things I've done, and continue to do, its my single biggest regret.

nope.
i would have said i would and when they handed me the cash i would have kept it and said
'that'll learn you not to smoke you little bastard, now scram'

Not a chance.
If I had kids, I wouldn't want them to be getting cigarettes from strangers.

I have a serious problem with adults buying cigarettes for minors. It's a big reason why I have a deep dislike for my boyfriends father, and sister. They both allowed him to smoke whenever he wanted, and supplied his habits. I think I remember him saying he started at ten. He's twenty now, and recently 'quit,' and I say 'quit' as he's lied to me about quitting on multiple occasions. He's been smoking for ten years, he's barely an adult and has problems breathing that I only see in older adults.


It's just sad. And it's such a nasty habit.

In America? Nope, not a chance. They can wait a few years or hit up their older friends/siblings for all I care, but I'm not risking jail for an illegal product for a minor.

I wonder how the laws & mentalities in Europe truly differ from the US? I know some countries in Europe are quite socially lax on the young having alcohol, but then again, their culture is quite different from ours surrounding it anyway. I've never given any social differences in tobacco any consideration, I wonder if it's seen similarly as alcohol.

I have had minors ask me to buy them smokes on numerous occasions, and always tell them the same thing. No. They then ask me to 'sell them a couple of smokes' and i tell them No, I am not licensed to sell tobacco.

I started smoking at 18, am now 45, and am damn near useless because of the inability to breath proper. I get up in the morning, roll out of bed wheezing, pull my self up, drag myself to the coffee pot, praying i don't have a 'fit' as i make coffee. Whenever i exert myself, a coughing fit is always guaranteed to happen, followed by spitting up nasties. Having been a laborer most of my life, i can no longer give an honest days work due to this habit, and the resulting debilitation, making me feel so freaking useless and parasitic. Riding a bike? Out of the question....walking to the store 2 blocks away? I better have an hour to spare.

In my opinion what you did is pretty low. I'd be very upset if you bought my kids cigarettes.

a reply to: zatara

Nope I wouldn't have.. Not for any moral reasons.. I mean one simple issue is if you feed a bear... He's going to want some muffins? Or wait if you give a moose a cookie he's going to want some crack... Something like that.

Same thing with Other herbal remedies..
IF you can't find it yourself then maybe it's not calling your name loud enough.

I remember once getting run up on by the cops. I was walking at night while white. Anyway.. They found out I had been drinking by a breathalizer after the other 6 patrol cars showed up. Blew a .02

They asked me how did I get alcohol when my birthday to be 21 was in 17 days..
"A friend"

You know how long they tried to figure out who that friend was?? I just told them, yea I know who gave it to me but I don't want to tell you who that is. "Why?" I don't want to tell you that information.

I got off with a ticket, but my "friend" would have had much worse.


If young people are "cool" enough to use drugs in the right way they are "cool" enough to find them.. In my experience it's the ones who always need the hookup who don't know what's up or how to act in life.

And I've also noticed that if the age of drug use is more like my age it doesn't hurt them as bad.. But if it's younger like 16 or 15 or 14 or 13 or 12... It can cause more permanent addictions..


I would never tell you what to do, it's just when it comes to minors. There is a reason they are considered minors. You can't give legal consent to sex. How do you know how you consent to addictions?



But otherwise what you did is pretty minor in most ways. One problem though is that you are older and will be looked up to as the cool guy. And it's Cool guy mixed with cigarettes. A Dying image.





NOW if it was my kids.. I'd make them point you out.. Then you would not be having a nice day.
Have a good one.

I remember being that age and wanting stuff only the grown ups could buy.

I'm going against the grain here, you're only young once. Good work