STATEMENT REGARDING NEW YORK RAISING THE PURCHASING AGE TO 21 FOR ALL TOBACCO AND VAPOR PRODUCTS

Policy, Underage Use Prevention

July 16, 2019

We commend Governor Cuomo for signing legislation to raise the purchasing age for all tobacco products, including vapor products, to 21 in New York state. 

We cannot fulfill our goal to provide the world’s one billion adult smokers with a true alternative to combustible cigarettes, the number one cause of preventable death in this country, if youth-use continues unabated. Tobacco 21 laws fight one of the largest contributors to this problem – sharing by legal-age peers – and they have been shown to dramatically reduce youth-use rates. That is why we are committed to working with lawmakers to enact these effective policies and hope more jurisdictions follow in New York’s example.

Read more about our push to raise the purchasing age for all tobacco and vapor products nationwide.