New York City bans cigarettes under 21

New anti-smoking measure in New York
On October 30, the New York City City Council met to vote in favor of a new measure relating to the fight against smoking among young people. This should establish at 21 years old, the legal age to buy tobacco, cigarettes, and electronic cigarettes, report Release. Voted with 35 votes in favor and 10 votes against, this law must be signed by Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, within the next 30 days. ” We know that tobacco addiction can be very rapid once a young person starts to smoke, and therefore it is critical to prevent young people from smoking even before they start (…) By raising the age to 21 years old, we will help a new generation to avoid health problems linked to tobacco ” did he declare.

New York and the fight against smoking
Tobacco control measures are not new to New York City. The “Big Apple” already bans smoking in public places such as parks, squares and beaches. The cigarette tax is $ 5.85, which sets the price of a pack of cigarettes at around $ 12. In view of the results, the municipality does not intend to stop there. Indeed, in ten years, the percentage of smokers has increased from 21.5% to 14.8%. With this new measure, elected officials hope to reduce the number of young smokers by 50%. “More than 80% of adults who smoke in New York started before age 21 (…) This measure will protect teenagers, and will probably prevent many from starting to smoke” said Thomas Farley, the health assistant.

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