New York City Council to raise tobacco buying age to 21, includes E-Cigs

[6souls]

The City Council has passed a bill to bar anyone under the age of 21 from buying cigarettes and e-cigarettes in New York City.

Under federal law, no one under 18 can buy tobacco anywhere in the country, but some states and localities have raised it to 19.

Some communities, including Needham, Mass., have raised the minimum age to 21, but New York will be the biggest city to do so if Mayor Bloomberg signs the bill, which he is expected to do.

Lawmakers voted 35 to 10 to pass the bill Thursday.

Public health advocates say a higher minimum age discourages, or at least delays, young people from starting smoking and thereby limits their health risks. But opponents of such measures have said 18-year-olds, legally considered adults, should be able to make their own decisions about whether or not to smoke.

Officials say 80 percent of city smokers started before age 21, and an estimated 20,000 New York City public high school students now smoke. While it's already illegal for many of them to buy cigarettes, officials say this measure plays a key role by making it illegal for them to turn to slightly older friends to buy smokes for them. The vast majority of people who get asked to do that favor are between 18 and 21 themselves, city officials say.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local...229822281.html

Opening a new front in the city’s war on smoking, the New York City Council voted Wednesday to hike the legal age for buying cigarettes to 21.

Mayor Bloomberg promised to sign the bill, making it certain that New York will become the first major city in America to adopt such a high age requirement.

Thomas Farley, the city’s health and mental hygiene commissioner, said the law, the Sensible Tobacco Enforcement Act, represents a "historic advance in our fight against New York City's leading killer."

Bloomberg said the new age requirement will prevent more teenagers from developing a smoking habit, saving lives. Research shows that more than 80% of smokers in New York began lighting up before the age 21.

About 7,000 New Yorkers die of smoking-related causes every year.

City Councilman James Gennaro (D-Queens), a sponsor of the legislation, voiced confidence the new law would block more young New Yorkers from becoming smokers.

"We made great strides from 2001 to 2006 to bring down teen smoking," he said, but "we've been plateaued since about 2007 and we need the next big thing, and this is the next big thing."

He added, "We're the first ones to act. Once we go I think the dominoes are going to fall, and I think this is a very good day for the city and ultimately for the state and for the country."

The legislation raises the smoking age for all tobacco products, including cigars and flavored cigarettes.

It also raises the minimum age for buying electronic cigarettes, which deliver a dose of nicotine with vapor instead of smoke.

Language to ban stores from displaying tobacco products, was dropped from the legislation earlier this week. The display ban was strongly opposed by retail groups like the Save Our Stores coalition, which argued it would hurt business.

Bloomberg administration officials insisted the measure was simply put on hold in order to sort out whether and how to include the e-cigarettes in the display ban.

When it is enacted, the new law would add one more component to Bloomberg’s legacy of anti-smoking and public health initiatives.

Since he became mayor, the city has banned smoking in bars and restaurants and in public places, such as city beaches and parks.

Aides say Bloomberg was convinced to raise the smoking age by data from London showing a major decline in youth smoking after that city raised its minimum age to 21.

“We've seen jurisdictions like Nassau County, Suffolk County, the whole state of Jersey (raise the smoking age) to 19 and they made some headway but we looked at other places that have gone to 21 in other parts in the world and we saw that there was a big difference to be made by doing that," Gennaro said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/poli...icle-1.1502047
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Michael+Bloomberg

[GoggleHead]

Because this will accomplish anything positive, right?

[Heavencloud]

From a health standpoint, this is great. From a 'muh freedom' standpoint, this is pretty ridiculous.

[Rhinox]

Nice

[Azull]

I have mixed feelings on this. I am a non smoker but really haven't given 2 shits if someone smokes in public or not as long as its not around kids, especially young kids.

If I am, however, going to be forced to pay for your ass if you get lung or any other type of cancer due to your smoking then yah....stop it as much as we can.

[archibaldcrane]

So, outlawing retardation eh? Hmmm...

[Callisto]

This seems kind of stupid to me, at least relative to what Chicago is doing. Instead of changing the ages here, they just tax the absolute death out of tobacco(the amount of tax on a pack of cigarettes is around 200% the actual value of the pack itself), yes you end up with the same deal of citizens hating you trying to legislate their health, but at the very least for those who aren't going to quit either way you gain revenue from them.

fwiw I'm an ex-smoker who still occasionally uses portioned tobacco packets, and I think the health aspect is stupid. Roughly anything ever that is remotely close to enjoyable can 'give you cancer', hell you can live with an optimally healthy diet, be physically active...and get skin cancer while running a 5k or some shit. If people want to pursue things that shorten their own lives that's their prerogative, especially if it's something like snus/chew/vapors that don't have the same second-hand issues as traditional cigarettes, we don't really need/want everyone living to be 100.

[Ksandra]

The thing is it's not just effecting your health.

As well, because of it's chemical addictive aspect, a lot of young kids try it once, and whether they want to or not, they're stuck.


Only thing kinda off about this law to me is the e-cig thing.

Are there people who straight up just start with e-cigs? I always thought these were things to try and quit smoking, so should be encouraged.

[archibaldcrane]

I think e-cigs are becoming popular with teens as the new "cool" way to smoke. I mean they have flavors, they don't stink, you can use them indoors, they incorporate technology...it's an exciting new way to pick up a pointless nicotine addiction!

[Pirian]

There is currently little, if any, legislation preventing the sale of E-Cigs to children, are being marketed directly to kids in the exact same way that cigarettes once were. It really is such a strong case for why regulations are in place and how these scum that make it cannot be trusted to self-regulate.

Also, the thing about addiction is that it is never a choice.

[Day]

I think e-cigs are becoming popular with teens as the new "cool" way to smoke. I mean they have flavors, they don't stink, you can use them indoors, they incorporate technology...it's an exciting new way to pick up a pointless nicotine addiction!

As a ecig user I keep seeing this come up and it seems to be some kind of propaganda from the tobacco industry not gonna lie... I mean, those same kids would be smoking cigarettes, I can tell you first hand which is worse. All the chemicals and shit that are created when you burn a cigarette it's like insane to even compare to to some vegtable glycerin and nicotine. All the things you listed are the same things that make adults excited about using them, I've really seen little evidence they are actually being marketed towards children/teens, and I've been off cigarettes using them for a couple years now, so I've done quite a bit of research/shopping.

Theres a huge war that's been brewing a long time between ecig companies and the tobacco industry and we are really close to seeing what happens I believe. I will say there could be more regulation in the ecig industry, specifically in the manufacturing of the "juice". I fully expect large taxes in the future and I'm moderately OK with that.

[Esvedium]

The thing is it's not just effecting your health.

As well, because of it's chemical addictive aspect, a lot of young kids try it once, and whether they want to or not, they're stuck.

Do you seriously think 1 cigarette gets you addicted?

[archibaldcrane]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying kids who wouldn't do something as hilariously stupid as smoke cigarettes are using E-Cigs - but I think teens are starting to go E-Cig as their starter cig.

I could be wrong.

[Day]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying kids who wouldn't do something as hilariously stupid as smoke cigarettes are using E-Cigs - but I think teens are starting to go E-Cig as their starter cig.

I could be wrong.

I'm sure they are, it would be much easier to get away with in school, etc. It's still a better alternative, it's just odd I'm seeing this suddenly on the news and being brought up by a lot of people, when for a long time ecigs were mostly ignored. I mean those disposable ecigs been around many years now.

[Ksandra]

Do you seriously think 1 cigarette gets you addicted?

It definitely can. Doesn't always.

[Callisto]

I don't believe that any single tobacco use is going to get anyone addicted, however I do strongly feel that ecigs would be massively more likely to get younger users hooked, as the strong taste/smell of normal cigarettes is typically what dissuades those who try them at a young age but end up not becoming a smoker.

[Aurara]

Do you seriously think 1 cigarette gets you addicted?

This is the same logic that says "oh if I inject heroine this one time I won't get addicted"

Cigarettes absolutely can addict you after one. It doesn't always happen, but it very easily can.

[Ksandra]

Chemically speaking, it makes people feel really good, even with the first cig. How on earth can you think that just once of taking something that makes you feel really good, won't cause an addiction?

Fuck I had In n' Out once and got addicted.

[Tajin]

The bitch made generation, can't, can't, can't

[Krandor]

A pair of virgin lungs it not going to feel "really good" smoking a cigarette for the first time.