NEW YORK (WKBW) — Lawmakers are pushing to raise the minimum age of tobacco purchases in New York State.
According to Speaker Carl Heastie, the Assembly has passed legislation that would increase the purchasing age for tobacco products and electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21 years old.
“Smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes is a dangerous and addictive habit that too often begins in high school or earlier,” said Speaker Heastie. “By raising the purchasing age to 21, we can remove tobacco and other addictive products from our schools and improve health outcomes by stopping smoking before it starts.”
The legislation now heads to the Senate for approval.
Governor Andrew Cuomo issued this statement on raising the minimum sales age for tobacco:
"The lifelong health effects and human misery caused by tobacco use cannot be understated and New York needs to do everything in its power to keep tobacco products out of the hands of our young people. That's why I made raising the age of tobacco sales to 21 one of the first proposals of my Justice Agenda and I applaud the Assembly and particularly Assembly Member Rosenthal for taking action on this very important issue today. I urge the Senate to follow suit and help make this a stronger and healthier New York for all."
