Young people and the things they do are often judged because they are in groups and use public space differently to adults. These views alongside the way they dress, the way they look and what they do all impact on how they are treated.
There is no law that says when you can or can’t smoke cigarettes BUT it is against the law for an adult other than your parent or guardian to sell or give you cigarettes if you are under 18.
In 1990 the Australian Government entered an agreement to adopt the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC). This is a formal protection of human rights for children, that is, everyone under 18 years of age. This Convention is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world.