X

New York City Wants to Ban Cigarette Sales for Under Age 21


April 22, 2013 | Kyle Chayka

A proposal drafted by NYC health commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley aims to ban cigarette purchases by those under the age of 21. This isn’t much of a surprise, considering Mayor Bloomberg’s recent efforts to ban large sugary sodas. If passed, the proposal would make the minimum age for buying cigarettes the same as for buying liquor; yet it is not entirely clear whether Dr. Farley’s proposal would also make it illegal for people under 21 to have cigarettes in their possession.

On nearby Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk counties have already raised their legal age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products to 19.

(Image: Sally Mann)