Six months from today, some adults will no longer be able to legally buy cigarettes in New York City. Those 18 to 21. Yesterday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed legislation that will raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products to 21. And the minimum purchasing price for a pack will be $10.50. (What jobs are these 18-to-20 year-olds holding?) The law goes into effect in May. For most intents and purposes, New Yorkers—and most Americans in general—become adults when they pass the 18-year threshold. They can vote, marry independently, buy a mortgage, be sued, sue, make a will, and fight in wars without parental consent. (In other words, they can die for their country, but can’t smoke a cigarette—or drink alcohol, for that matter.) They can drive a car two years before that. The goal, of course, is to deter underage smoking and thus decrease tobacco-related deaths because most people who get hooked start as teens. But even once the law goes into effect those 18-to-21 can still possess cigarettes legally, just not buy them.
Mayor Bloomberg Signs Landmark Bills to Further Reduce Smoking in New York City