The Tobacco 21 bill raised the purchasing age from 18 to 21 in New York City.


Nicknamed the Tobacco 21 bill, it raised the purchasing age from 18 to 21, making New York City the largest city to have such a high minimum smoking age.

"New York City is the ideal market to test this policy, where it can be supported by strong existing tobacco control laws and policies," says Michael Seliback, vice president of public policy and communications at the American Lung Association of the Northeast.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, known for his advocacy for a healthier New York, said in a statement that through the bill another generation would be spared from the ill health that comes from smoking.

Ninety-five percent of adult smokers lit up their first cigarette before they turned 21, Seliback says.

Shira Kipnees, a junior at Franklin and Marshall College, hopes the bill will help lower that number.

"By raising the age, people are more likely to think things through," she says. "Other states should definitely follow suit. This is a dangerous drug. We have made other dangerous drugs illegal, so why should tobacco be any different?"

If the bill seems to some to be sending a healthy message, others doubt its effectiveness in keeping tobacco out of youths' reach.

"The more you tell kids they can't do something, the more they want to. If the law will have any effect, it'll probably be adverse," says Ashley Anderson, a senior at Baruch College in New York City.

Anderson echoed an view many hold toward restrictions on youth, adding that some 18-year-olds already make substantial mature decisions.

"The laws seem so inconsistent. At the age of 18, a person can move out of their parents' home, vote, get tattoos and piercings and die for their country," she adds. "If New York City feels that 18-year-olds aren't mature enough to make smart decisions concerning their health, then why are they mature enough to make those other decisions?"

That's also a concern shared by NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment (NYC CLASH), which created a Facebook page against the bill — which has gained almost 400 followers.

Audrey Silk, the founder of the organization, says she found it disingenuous for New York to rely on young voters but to deny them a simple choice on smoking.

Like Anderson, she thinks the bill will push those under the age limit to find ways around the law.

"It's only in the anti-smokers' delusional minds that this will do anything to keep 18- to 20-year-olds from getting their hands on cigarettes," Silk says.

Some think the effectiveness of the bill isn't necessarily the problem.

Alice Lahoda grew up in New Jersey, where the tobacco purchasing age is currently 19, and says she knew many who got around the law.

"I also know that it created too much of a hassle for some people, which I'm willing to bet is the reason some of them never started smoking in the first place," adds the junior at Northeastern University. "So even if the law just puts off the inevitable fact that some people will grow up to be smokers, at least the health risks associated with smoking won't hinder development."

To stress those health risks, additional tobacco regulations were passed alongside the bill.

The minimum price for a pack of cigarettes was raised to $10.50, and penalties will be in place for stores that decide to offer discounts.

Similar legislation is expected to be voted on in Hawaii in December. Some towns in Massachusetts have already pushed the tobacco-buying age towards 21, and New Jersey is expected to consider a similar proposal.

Benedict Joson, a senior at the City University of New York who helped enact a tobacco-free policy on campus, applauded the bill — but said the debate boils down to personal choice.

"Enforcement will only do so much," he says. "Ultimately, free will and personal choice to not smoke will bring about a healthier and greener New York City."

Melanie Dostis is a senior at Northeastern University.

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