Rite Of Passage

Words: 1045
Pages: 5

Tobacco smoking has been around for centuries. The image of a cigar or a wooden pipe is almost directly related in western culture to the idea of manhood. It is when a teenager drags in the smoke of a cigar that “just coincidentally fell out of his father’s humidor” that he begins to, not only feel, but be seen as a true man. This manly rite of passage has some individual differences attributed into different countries’ cultures; as it has been observed through my personal experience in Austria and in the United States. Smoking is seen as a classical rite of passage into manhood in both Austria and in the United States, having visible differences, however, in the age of initiation, frequency of practice and popularity, ultimately indicating …show more content…
This data might be an indicator of the law and its enforcement for the legal age of tobacco sale in the United States. Instances have occurred where a teenager is sent by law enforcement to enter an establishment, purchase tobacco with his own or no identification all, and, if the sale is completed, the establishment is fined. In contrast, Austria possesses a much younger age at which teenagers first go through this transition; some as young as 14 or 15 have their first encounter with smoking. Perhaps attributed to the country’s stance on tobacco, considering that Austria is among one of the countries with the lowest legal age requirements for tobacco purchase. Due to its strong presence in the culture, the enforcement of the law for tobacco purchase is not as strict. It is not uncommon for a teenager to walk into a Tabak-Trafik (Austrian tobacco stores) and easily purchase a pack of cigarettes without having to show any proper identification, or even turn to one of the many cigarette vending machines scattered throughout Vienna. Is the legal smoking age determined by the culture, or is the culture determined by the legal smoking