New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is continuing his foray into making the city a healthier place by proposing plans to raise the legal age to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21.
The bill, which was introduced by the City Council and has the backing of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, would make New York City, which already has the highest cigarette taxes in the nation, the first big city or state to set the smoking age at 21. City officials went on to note that 8 in 10 adult smokers in the city started smoking regularly when they were below the age of 21, and most smokers who are under age 18 obtain cigarettes from individuals who are just a few years older than them.
The proposal is part of a decade-long, anti-tobacco campaign by outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has imposed some of the highest cigarettes taxes in the country, banned smoking in parks and run graphic ads on the hazards of smoking. Cigarette packs sold in New York City currently carry a state tax of $4.35 and a city tax of $1.50 - making it the most expensive city in the nation to be a smoker.
"That will literally save lives," New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said about the new bid to raise the age for buying - but not necessarily using or possessing - tobacco products. "The more difficult it is for (young people) to gain access to tobacco products, the less likely they are to start smoking."
New York city proposed a requirement that stores keep cigarettes out of sight unless an adult customer asks for them.
