Westchester Votes To Raise Age For Smoking, Vaping

WHITE PLAINS, NY — The Westchester County Board of Legislators voted Monday to raise the age limit for the sale of tobacco and related products in Westchester from 18 to 21. The measure will prohibit the sale not only of cigarettes and tobacco products but also e-cigarettes and vaping products to those under 21.

The measure passed Monday night on a bipartisan basis by a vote of 16-1

Westchester is just the latest local municipality to raise the age for tobacco sales. Earlier this month, the town of New Castle raised the age there to 21. Last month, Rockland County did the same. New York City established 21 as its age limit in 2013, according to a county spokesman.

Many counties across New York have already established 21 as the tobacco-sales age limit, from Cattaraugus in Western New York to Schenectady County upstate to Onondaga County in Central New York to Suffolk County on Long Island.

Lawmakers believe the new measure will dramatically reduce the number of new smokers and the likelihood of new addictions to vaping products, some of which have a higher nicotine content than cigarettes.

Board Chair Ben Boykin, D-White Plains, said the measure will protect the health of Westchester's young people, "not only those ages 18 to 21 but also younger people who are more likely to have an 18- or 19-year-old willing to buy them tobacco and nicotine products in their social circles. This is especially important with the explosive growth of high-nicotine vaping among middle schoolers and high schoolers today.”

The measure now goes to County Executive George Latimer for his signature.

Image via Shutterstock.