Guest Column: It's time to define when 'adulthood' is

The minimum age to purchase tobacco is now 21, a move that has been applauded on both sides of the aisle as a means to prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths. Yet the same people implementing the new law don’t seem to mind sending another wave of 18-year-old men and women to war, some of whom will die as a result.

Seem contradictory? It is. As a country we have yet to get on the same page as to what constitutes adulthood.

Yes, raising the age to purchase tobacco makes sense on the surface as it parallels the state’s marijuana and alcohol consumption age and has been linked to serious health conditions and deaths.

But the decision begs the questions: Just how old do you have to be to be an adult?

Why can police law enforcement interview a child without a parent present? That’s right, authorities can interview a child for a crime without a parent being notified.

You can operate a motor vehicle at 16 in most states, except in New Jersey, where you have to be 17, or South Dakota, where you can get a license at 14 1/2.

Also, at age 16, you can have consensual sex — if it’s with another 16- or-17-year-old. But you’ll have to wait to enter a strip club, purchase a dirty magazine or visit an adult toy store until you’re 18 —even though you’re old enough to decide to be sexually active.

You’ll also have to put the plans for a tattoo or body piercing on the back burner until your 18th birthday, unless a parent gives you consent.

In Washington, after obtaining a license and petitioning the court for “special circumstances,” you can legally get married at 17.

By the time you blow out 18 candles, there’s still a few things to look forward to. You can be sentenced to life in prison (although sometimes at a younger age if tried as an adult), enter legally binding contractual agreements, gamble and vote.

On your 18th birthday, you also become eligible to serve in the military (although you have to be 21 or older to buy a semiautomatic assault rifle or handgun in the state of Washington).

Is it right — or fair — to send an 18-year-old overseas (possibly with a spouse and child at home) to be killed in war, but deny them the same access to a cigarette or beer?

At 21 you can now crack open a cold beer, light up a cigarette or enjoy a joint. But once you finally hit age 21, you’re still not fully considered an adult.

Under Young Adult Coverage, if your parent’s health insurance plan covers children, you can add or keep children on your health insurance policy until they turn 26.

Want to change these laws? You can run for the House of Representatives at age 25, the Senate at 30, or presidency at 35.

It’s time we come to an agreement on the age of adulthood. And when a person hits that age, he — or — she should be entitled to all of the privileges and responsibilities of being an adult.

Research suggests our brains aren’t fully mature until our mid-20s.

This make an argument for not letting 18-year-olds drink alcohol or smoke marijuana. But, if an 18-year-old can have a spouse, conceive a child and die for his —or —her own country, shouldn’t they have the same access to a beer or a cigarette after a long, hard day?

Brock Hires is the managing editor of the Omak Chronicle.