Blog 8:NEW YORK RAISING AGE TO BUY CIGARETTES T0 21

NEW YORK RAISING AGE TO BUY CIGARETTES T0 21

Buying cigarettes is now going to be much harder to purchase in New York City because the lawmakers are trying to adopt stricter limits on tobacco purchases. You legally only have to be 18 to purchase tobacco in the United States, however they are trying get Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to sign a bill. The bill will allow the new minimum to take affect 6 months after signing it. People are retaliating, saying that if you can vote, fight in wars, and drive at the age of 18 then you should also be able to decide if you want to smoke cigarettes or not. They think that raising the age limit will eventually stop people from getting addicted to them. City officials say that the earlier people begin smoking, the more they are likely to become addicted. Along with this proposal, they gave also tried to ban smoking in public places. 

The smoking age is 18 in the country but there are some states have raised the age to at least 19. These people aren't even approving of the electrical cigarettes. There was a person interviewed about this whole ordeal and her name was Nicole. She began smoking when she was 13 and she stated that she never had any problem buying them. She would buy them from people or bum them from people. She also said that over half of her high school friends smoked also. Basically Nicole thought 18 was a reasonable legal age to make their over decisions, and she doesn't think it's going to work. 

In my opinion, this would be a good idea. It would help to minimize lung cancer and keep people from getting addicted to cigarettes at such an early age. I think its going to be really hard for this to be established and of course underage people are still going to find a way around the law. However, its really worth a try and I think it would benefit everyone in the long run. 

Quarshona Collins

November 1, 2013 

2:32 am

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/nyregion/new-york-approves-law-to-raise-tobacco-purchasing-age-to-21.html?ref=health&_r=1&gwh=E9CAEF0A50F3A99E793E02750BDA3DF5&