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Who cares
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Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law and the penal law, in relation to increasing the purchasing age for tobacco products from eighteen to nineteen
Purpose
To raise the purchasing age for tobacco products from eighteen to nineteen and restrict access of underage children to tobacco products purchased by older acquaintances.
Summary of provisions
Amends section 1399-cc of the public health law (1) to raise the purchasing age for tobacco products from eighteen to nineteen (2) requires identification of any individual who reasonably appears less than twenty-six years of age when purchasing tobacco product. Amends sections 1399-aa, 1399-b, 1399-dd, 1399-ff to change eighteen years of age to nineteen years of age and twenty-five years of age to twenty-six years of age. Amends the opening paragraph of section 1399-hh to read nineteen years of age instead of eighteen years of age. Amends paragraph (f) of subdivision 2 of section 1399-ii to read nineteen years of age instead of eighteen years of age. Amends the closing paragraph of section 1399-kk to read nineteen years of age instead of eighteen years of age. Amends the opening paragraph and paragraphs (f) and (g) of subdivision 2 of section 1399-kk to read nineteen years of age instead of eighteen years of age.
Read the full memo (836 words)
Justification
The aim of this bill is to remove cigarettes from the reach of underage children. Every year in New York, 53,000 youth under the age of 18 become regular smokers. Many of them tried their first cigarette before they entered high school. These youngsters must get their cigarettes from somewhere. Tough retail laws and high taxes on cigarettes in New York have essentially shut down the illegal purchase of tobacco products by underage children. As a result, these youth turn to older acquaintances, most often school mates, as sources for cigarettes.
In a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of underage smokers reported getting cigarettes from older people, either by borrowing or giving them money. Underage youth who use these social sources for tobacco are generally younger and more intermittent users of tobacco. It is within this population that intervention will be the most successful in preventing addiction to cigarettes. In a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers found that the most likely group of people to be asked to provide cigarettes by underage children are 18-19 year aids. These 18 and 19 year olds are still in school with underage smokers; they are people who underage children attend classes with and socialize with before and after school. More than half of every graduating class has already turned 18. Only a very small percentage has turned 19. While the study did not examine whether these individuals actually provided cigarettes to underage youth, several factors, including the large percentage of individuals who were asked, and the likelihood of more tolerant attitudes toward youth smoking, this group of 18-19 year olds is probably the biggest social source to underage smokers. Raising the purchase age for tobacco to 19 will shut down this popular source for tobacco products to underage children.
The best way to reduce the number of citizens who smoke is to prevent initiation of tobacco use. A fairly short time passes between initiation and addiction, and most interventions miss this small window of opportunity. Once someone becomes addicted to tobacco it is very difficult to quit. Recent studies show that fewer than 3% of those who attempt to quit remain smoke free for more than a year.
Easily, the most effective way to prevent addiction is to prevent initiation. The majority of smokers 16 years of age and younger are intermittent users. Addictive smoking requiring regular purchase begins later, at a median age of 17. Raising the purchase age provides an opportunity to expose intermittent users strong counter-marketing, and de-normalizing campaigns. Keeping kids tobacco free for a longer period of time allows such interventions to reach students before they become regular users.
Of the 50,000 plus youth who become regular smokers, half of them will eventually die from smoking related disease. They will suffer from cancer, emphysema, heart disease, asthma, and hypertension, to name a few. All told, the underage smokers of today will cost the state over 11 billion dollars in health care costs and lost productivity. Simply delaying tobacco use provides benefits. The earlier people begin to smoke, the higher their risk for contracting lung cancer and other health problems. Just being able to stop a small percentage of these youth from smoking will yield incredible savings in medical bills and lost work.
The key to reducing the number of smokers in New York is to stop them before they start. Raising the smoking age to 19 removes cigarettes from high schools and eliminates a popular source of tobacco from underage children.
Legislative history
2005-2006 Health Committee (S.5098/A.5883-A). 2007-2008 Health Committee (S.45I5/A.2537)
Fiscal implications
: None.
Effective date
One hundred and twenty days after this act becomes law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.