New York City Council raises age to buy cigarettes to 21

[Lief 🗽]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/nyregion/new-york-approves-law-to-raise-tobacco-purchasing-age-to-21.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=NY_NYA_20131031&_r=1&

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Wonderful news! New York City continues to lead the way in protecting public health and standing up to Big Tobacco.

[memphis]

Good for them! Cigarettes are nasty. Here in Middle America, a nonsmoker never has to deal with cigarette smoke because they're banned in public indoor places. One spends all his time either at home, in a private automobile, or in one of these smoke free stores/restaurants/whatever. I was in Chicago a few weeks ago (I assume NYC is the same way) and of course, in a big city, one walks to his destination. There were several people around me here and there puffing away. Absolutely disgusting! It severely reducing the quality of the experience of being in what was otherwise a very nice American city.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

A sad day for all involved.

[The Free North]

America---where people are assumed to be too stupid to know that cigarettes are harmful unless big brother tells them they are.

[Lief 🗽]

America---where people are assumed to be too stupid to know that cigarettes are harmful unless big brother tells them they are.

Um... yeah that's literally an accurate description of the history of tobacco use in this country. It declined significantly when the government actually educated people about the dangers of cigarettes. Before that, corporate big brother just lied to them constantly.

[riceowl]

America---where people are assumed to be too stupid to know that cigarettes are harmful unless big brother tells them they are.

18, 19, and 20 year olds?  Yeah, I'd say so.

[Gass3268]

Freedom City!

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Good move, it's pretty stupid the age for tobacco is lower than alcohol. Obviously the alcohol purchasing age should be dropped too but that's not something NYC can handle.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I can see raising it to 19, the same as Suffolk and Nassau, so as to help keep tobacco out of high schools, but 21 seems a bit overreaching to me.

[7,052,770]

By the time you're old enough to know a 21 year old who will by you cigarettes,  you probably know better. Or at least you're more likely to. Good law

[Cory]

What crap. Honestly if your aren't already smoking by 18 then odds are you never will. I don't know anyone who smokes who started at 18 or older. This will change very little.

It's just Michael Bloomberg's one last act of dickery before he finally leaves office.

[RI]

Sweet.

[dead0man]

What crap. Honestly if your aren't already smoking by 18 then odds are you never will. I don't know anyone who smokes who started at 18 or older. This will change very little.

<raises hand>
I was buying them for friends (primarily a girl whose pants I wanted to get in) and started that way when I realized how cool it made me look.

(the last part was 73% joke)

[Hifly]

Brilliant news

[memphis]

What crap. Honestly if your aren't already smoking by 18 then odds are you never will. I don't know anyone who smokes who started at 18 or older. This will change very little.

<raises hand>
I was buying them for friends (primarily a girl whose pants I wanted to get in) and started that way when I realized how cool it made me look.

(the last part was 73% joke)

Buying cigs to seduce an underage girl? Nice!

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

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What are you going to do for those already addicted, Bloomby?

[Goldwater]

This is a step in the wrong direction. We should be lowering the drinking age, not raising the minimum age for other things.

[bedstuy]

Cigarettes are something like $13 a pack in New York City.  That should be disincentive enough.

Ultimately, I think these types of laws are meant for a press release.  There will be very spotty enforcement of this law.  Just for comparison, I see my local stores routinely sell loosie cigarettes which is also illegal in New York City.  Nobody is going to make sure the local bodega checks a 18 year old persons' ID.  To the extent they do, it's just going to be singling out some poor bodega owner.

[Hifly]

Buying cigs to seduce an underage girl? Nice!

I always thought that dead0man was rather dim witted and this only helps confirm this notion. How vile.

[pbrower2a]

I can see raising it to 19, the same as Suffolk and Nassau, so as to help keep tobacco out of high schools, but 21 seems a bit overreaching to me.

21 was used for alcohol because 18-year-olds were supplying it to 14-year-olds.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

I wouldn't be disgusted by this if the age for purchasing e-cigarettes wasn't raised as well. This smacks of anti-tobacco zealotry rather than promoting public health and wellness.

[Link]

America---where people are assumed to be too stupid to know that cigarettes are harmful...

Fixed.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

America---where people are assumed to be too stupid to know that cigarettes are harmful...

Fixed.

Wait, why is it "America"......isn't our smoking rate far below the rest of the planet?  (too lazy to google it)

[publicunofficial]

America---where people are assumed to be too stupid to know that cigarettes are harmful unless big brother tells them they are.

Yeah, people who smoke know the risks and should be allowed to make their own choices.

Not like cigarette smoke causes harm to people around them or anything