So, how old do you think one should be to buy a lighter? Most people are confused about this question.
Carrying a lighter outside of the kitchen or not near a grill could signify that one is trying to light up one or two sticks. It gives people a feeling that you’re a smoker.
So, can a person’s age determine if he or she can buy specific items from a store? Items like lighters and matches. Well, keep reading to learn more.
How old do you have to be to buy a lighter?
Buying a lighter has no age restriction. The same goes for matches. However, if you’re below 16 years of age or younger, stores may most likely refuse to sell a lighter or matches to you.
You may also get into trouble once found with a lighter in school. People could interpret the reason you have a lighter in your pocket or bag differently.
So, if you want to buy a lighter or matches from a store without being denied, ensure you’re 18 years or older. But then, most stores don’t have time to check your identity card before selling a lighter to you.
Stores that sell lighters to children under 18 do not get punished by the law unless a state’s law prohibits such an act.
Reasons You Shouldn’t Allow Minors Buy A Lighter
Lighters may look harmless and small in one’s hand. But they have caused more harm than one can imagine. People use lighters for many things. It can light a smoking grill, gas cooker, and a cigarette or set items on fire.
Allowing minors to buy and own a lighter is a dangerous game. They can use that lighter for good or evil. You never can tell.
So, here are some logical reasons why minors should never buy lighters by themselves.
They can get intoxicated:
Drug abuse is not only peculiar to adults. Thousands of ignorant children are also towing this line. High school is where most minors first encounter and start using drugs. And there is also a reason for that.
The reason many high school children do drugs is because of peer pressure. They have this notion that by doing drugs, they could become popular in school. Some do drugs because they think doing so can increase their academic performance.
So there is a host of reasons most kids do drugs. It could also be to end a painful feeling.
However, no matter the reason, drug abuse is illegal, unacceptable and destroys one’s life. So whether one is an adult or a minor, drug abuse should not be condoned.
So why should you not sell lighter to minors? Let’s be specific. It would help if you didn’t sell a gas cigarette lighter refill to a child.
The reason is that the gas in the lighter is intoxicating. So giving minors room to buy such a lighter could be a wrong decision. Remember, they enjoy exploring things. Thus, they may end up inhaling the gas in the lighter and become intoxicated.
An avenue to try smoking:
We often assume that kids aren’t wise. As such, we do things we don’t want to find them doing in their presence. Children are curious beings. They want to know everything adults do and the reason behind them.
If you’re the type of parent that smokes, giving your child the room to buy a lighter could be a wrong decision on your path. Your child probably sees you sometimes holding the lighter or using it to light up your cigarette.
Whenever that child gets in possession of a lighter, you can be sure that he or she may want to use it the way you do.
Lighter can become a weapon in their hands:
You don’t need to ask if a lighter can burn down a building because it can, and has. The fire may start very small but grows bigger as it spreads to other flammable materials.
Children can be very naughty at times. You also shouldn’t expect them to understand the gravity of specific actions they perform. So, avoid giving your child the room to buy a lighter. The reason is that when that child gets offended, he or she might one day retaliate.
The retaliation could be to burn down a sibling’s toy or set the home of their friends ablaze. Who knows? So these are reasons you should never allow your kids to own a lighter.
You wouldn’t want to get into trouble that would cost your family a fortune. Remember also that kids do not know the gravity of their actions, and their emotions get the best of them majority of the time.
You may likely be punished:
When a clerk allows a kid to purchase a lighter and the kid ends up using the lighter for something illegal, the clerk could get punished.
Please note that selling lighter to children younger than 18 isn’t against the law unless stated otherwise. But when that child uses the lighter for something illegal or dangerous, the store where he or she bought it from could be punished.
The reason would be because of the child’s age. It may be obvious that the child is under the age of 18 but that the store didn’t consider that. They also may not have checked the child’s ID card to learn about his or her age.
So, before you sell lighter to anyone, ensure they’re 18 years and above. Parents should also avoid sending their kids to buy a lighter or bring one for them in the house.
The child could get injured:
What is lighter? Just ask most people this sort of question. The answer would be a device that produces a flame. They are right about this answer. Just that what they didn’t include is that a lighter can be both useful and harmful.
In the hands of a minor, a lighter could be as dangerous as anything. The minor may get injured by the lighter mistakenly.
So, if you don’t want your youngsters to get burned, ensure you don’t give them room to buy or own a lighter. If you do, then you have yourself to blame for any incident that happens.
Is It Legal To Take A Lighter To School?
Children are fond of taking different objects to their schools. They forget that these objects could be dangerous to them and other students in the vicinity.
A school is an environment created to learn and acquire knowledge. A school is a place where students get opportunities to build a career and shape their future.
So there is no need for you to bring a lighter to the school premises. However, carrying a lighter to the school isn’t illegal. You may not even find it listed as an office in your school’s rule book.
Nevertheless, your teacher or school’s administrator would never be happy finding you in possession of a lighter. Children who commit such offenses get sent off from school or punished severely.
How To Stop Your Child From Playing With Lighter And Causing Damages
Children start a couple of fire incidents each year. They start it using lighters and matches. So leaving a lighter or matches in the hands of a child is a poor decision. You never know what that child could be up to.
Here, we highlighted several ways you can prevent your kids from playing with lighter and ensure they don’t cause serious problems.
Treat lighters as tools:
If you have been treating your lighters as a toy, it’s time for a change. Lighters are tools that produce a flame.
Other than the fire incident that might result, the gas from lighters can be dangerous. And you should know by now that most kids put the lighters in their mouth while playing, which isn’t hygienic.
Store lighters out of children’s reach:
An easy way to ensure that your kids don’t get their tiny fingers o/n your lighter is by storing them properly. If you have a kitchen cabinet placed high up and is lockable, you should consider keeping your lighters and matches there.
Don’t leave the kids unattended to:
It’s wrong to leave your kids’ sight for a second. Don’t if they aren’t sleeping. It takes a couple of seconds for a fire incident to break out, spread, and get out of control.
Children’s delinquent behavior might force them to play with a lighter and burn a few items, not knowing the devastating consequences. So don’t leave your kids who are under the age of 12 on their own.
Protect your house from fire incidents:
Is your smoke alarm working correctly? If yes, then you’re good to go. But if no, then get it fixed as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The answer to how old you have to be to buy a lighter is clear enough. There is no legal age, but if you’re under 18, clerks can refuse to sell an item like a lighter to you.
A lighter, in the hands of a minor, can be dangerous. The child may decide to do anything with it. So do everything necessary to ensure your children do not own a lighter at any point in time.
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