New York City aims to ban cigarette sales to under 21s

[garbon]

And we did it.

http://news.yahoo.com/york-city-bans-sale-cigarettes-under-21s-222358961.html

New York City voted Wednesday to ban the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and tobacco to anyone under the age of 21, raising the previous threshold of 18.

Having pioneered years of stringent anti-smoking laws, the city of 8.5 million becomes the largest metropolis to raise the age limit for buying cigarettes so high.

The US federal age requirement for buying cigarettes is 18, which some states previously raised to 19 and in some, smaller communities to 21.

A spokeswoman for New York City council said the proposal was approved by 35 votes to 10.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has to sign the resolution into law, immediately welcomed what he called a key step towards preventing young people from lighting up.

"Tobacco dependence can begin very soon after a young person first tries smoking so it's critical that we stop young people from smoking before they ever start.

"By increasing the smoking age to 21 we will help prevent another generation from the ill health and shorter life expectancy that comes with smoking."

His administration believes raising the legal age for buying cigarettes will reduce the number of smokers aged 18-20 by as much as 55 percent.

City hall says that from 2002 to 2011, the percentage of adults who smoke fell from 21.5 to 14.8 percent.

But while the number of public high school student smokers fell more than half between 2001 and 2011, the decline in youth smoking has stalled at 8.5 percent.

But the ban will be unpopular among those who feel that Bloomberg has over-stepped the line between protecting public health and interfering with personal choice.

In late 2012, he tried to ban super-sized sugary soft drinks on health grounds sparking angry complaints.

A judge blocked the measure in March, calling it arbitrary, although a final appeal is still pending.

Although New York City was exempt, a US judge this month ordered an end to a smoking ban imposed in public parks and beaches across New York state.

New York City in 2002 pioneered a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants that was initially criticized, but since has been adopted in cities across Europe and the West.

Since 2011, it has also been illegal to smoke on public beaches, parks and public swimming pools in New York City, and its cigarette taxes are the highest in the US.

Bloomberg, who steps down on January 1 after 12 years in office, highlighted health as part of his legacy in an interview with Forbes' November 18 issue magazine.

"You want to leave the world a better place for your kids. From a selfish point of view, you want people to think you've done a great job," he was quoted as saying.

"In this city 8.5 million people are living on average 2.5 years longer than they did 12 years ago. Imagine if it went the other direction!"

New York goes to the polls on Tuesday to elect Bloomberg's successor, with Democratic candidate Bill de Blasio enjoying an historic lead in opinion polls.

[dps]

Also, smoking isn't the only way to consume weed - but probably the only way to consume a cigarette. 

Not the only way to consume tobacco products, though.  There's snuff and chewing tobacco.

Anyway, my position is that if you can vote at age 18, and alcohol and tobacco are legal, then they should be legal to purchase and use by anyone 18 and over.

[Neil]

Someone though it'd be good to make sure people in Asia continue to use only broken English.

[garbon]

Omg

[jimmy olsen]

And we did it.

Stupid. It should stay at 18 and the Drinking Age be lowered to match.

[Eddie Teach]

They're tired of Columbia and NYU being such party schools.

[Syt]

I remember it being 16 in Kentucky

Same as in Germany. Also, at age 16, you could buy beer and wine (but no hard liquor, had to wait till 18).

[KRonn]

Seems pretty obvious that the laws are going to gradually tighten up until cigarette smoking is illegal period.

they've been saying that for 30 years in Canada, you know.  It still hasn't happenned.

Thirty years ago, you could smoke pretty well everywhere, and people did. There were ashtrays in offce building elevators. There were smoking sections in restaurants.

I am so glad those days are gone! I  can't imagine the stench from being in closed places all the time with the smoke. I think it wasn't so much noticed years ago when that kind of thing was going on but now I notice it if I'm somewhere that people are smoking, even just at a friend or relative's house where just one person is smoking. It seems like I have to fumigate my clothes afterwards as the stench is horrible.

That said, I don't like the demonization of smokers. Bad habit but if they want to smoke it's their choice. The second hand smoke I might encounter now is just a whiff of it in an open space and I don't worry about that. But I avoid places like restuarants and such where I can smell the smoke from a smoking section.

[Grey Fox]

Kronn, You didn't smell it because you smelt of it all the time and everything you interacted with also did.

[KRonn]

Kronn, You didn't smell it because you smelt of it all the time and everything you interacted with also did.

Yeah, that's what I figured. The smell was so common that we/I hardly took notice of it.

[The Brain]

Much like fat people smokers display a lack of discipline that is very offputting.

[Siege]

Somebody is gonna make money buying cigarrtes for the under 21s.

[Barrister]

Somebody is gonna make money buying cigarrtes for the under 21s.

Typical Jew.

[viper37]

I remember it being 16 in Kentucky  

I remember a time you could smoke in elementary school.  Ah, the goold old days... No wait, it wasn't.

[Eddie Teach]

I remember it being 16 in Kentucky  

I remember a time you could smoke in elementary school.  Ah, the goold old days... No wait, it wasn't.

Dang, how old are you?