Personally, I believe the limit for pro-creation should be one in which you can not ONLY be finacially secure, but also have the basic understanding of being the mature adult if anything were to happen. If kids want to 'play around' and think that their parents are going to be the ones to pay for everything when they have that baby, then they are DEAD wrong. Maturity comes to all people at different ages, but when it comes to stability, you better have a plan ready to feed that child of yours that you 'accidentally' created. I would NEVER in a million years have my 13 yr old, who doesn't even understand the first rule of parenting OR basic work ethics, to actually fool around and risk having a child. Ever see Britan's youngest father Alfie who was 13? He didn't even understand what 'income' was... Childeren need to grow up and learn to be mature by BEING the child first, as only then can can I feel he will grow to be a proper adult. A child raising a child will get nowhere. Even at teen stage I wouldn't have my kids try sexual activity as there are by FAR other means of getting off just fine. Sure, there is 'safe ***' but there comes a time when they get so into what they are doing, they say 'screw it' and will eventually get pregnant. Won't be 'safe' all of the time. I have seen to many of those scenarios of 'young teen moms' in my time, and don't expect my kids to follow suit anytime soon. Would hate to see a 13 yr old pay child support. Where are they going to get that money?
Not to mention that if 13 is the legal *** age, then that means pedophiles will have a picnic! Can you imagine your little girl coming home and saying' I'm pregnant and I think this 30 yr old man is the father?' There would be nothing you can do about it since it's then 'legal' age, so how does one sue for that? It's just wrong on so many levels that it blows my mind just thinking of it.
As for smoking. Having a mother who started as a teen and has only become more heavily inflicted overtime makes me protest at all angles when it comes to 'cancer sticks' Smoking WILL kill you. It may not be today or tomorrow, or even 3 months from now, but it WILL eventually. People can live their lives however they please, and I feel no matter what age you put a restriction on, kids or teens will find a way to grab a cig on the street, as it's simple as anything. Have a parent that smokes? There is your free cig! It's not as if an 'age restriction' will stop them at all from doing any sort of bad habit. I myself NEVER smoked despite having a mother that does. I have asthma and worry constantly of what goes into my body. Second hand smoke is one of the worst killers to ANYONE, so no matter what, the smoker will take out people around him/her. It's a double KO. In the end, smoking serves no justice, and no amount of 'age' will ever atone or change the fact that they will eventually die.