Q: When are children treated as an adult in general?
A: There’s a bit of a split in the US. People are considered legal adults at age 18, and can enter into contracts, sign legal documents and make their own legal decisions at age 18. They can also vote or join the military at this age, or buy lottery tickets. If you are still a high school student when you turn 18, you can even sign yourself in and out of class, and write your own permission slips! However, you need to be 21 to drink or go into a bar.
Until very recently, anyone over the age of 18 could buy cigarettes, but a new law has changed that. Now you must be 21 to buy cigarettes, the same as alcohol. The government is also looking at making changes to laws restricting “vaping” too. Most states allow people to drive at 16, but many want to increase this age as well, so it’s possible that this will change in the near future.
（和訳）
米国内でも少し差があるわ。法律的には１８歳から大人として考えられて、１８歳で契約を結んだり、法的文書に署名したり、自分で法的な決定ができるようになる。そのほか、投票、軍への入隊、宝くじの購入もできるようになるわね。１８歳になった時まだ高校生でも、授業の出欠や、許可に関する書類に自分で署名できるわ！でも飲酒やバーへの出入りは２１歳になってからよ。
つい最近まで１８歳以上はタバコを買えたけど、新しい法律で変更されたの。今はアルコールと同様にタバコの購入は２１歳でなくてはならないわ。政府は電子タバコの喫煙の規制も変えることを検討しているわね。ほとんどの州が車の運転は１６歳からとしているけど、多くの人が年齢を上げることを望んでいるから、近い将来変わることもありうるわね。
