MONTICELLO, NY — County lawmakers voted eight to one on April 20 to raise the age at which people can legally buy cigarettes and other tobacco products in the county from 18 to 21.

Before the vote, a number of people spoke on both sides of the debate. Kristen Salvi, director of government relations for the New York State chapter of the American Heart Association, said that in surveys, 50% of adult smokers say they became hooked before that age of 21, so this is a good strategy to reduce smoking rates. She said that across the country, 226 cities and municipalities and the entire state of Hawaii have raised the age to 21.

Kristina Wieneke, public policy director for the American Lung Association in New York, said that tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in New York State. And she said, “If youth manages to get to the age of 21 without ever picking up a cigarette, the chance of them doing so at a later age falls to 2%.”

Julie Hart, the government relations director of American Cancer Society’s Government Cancer Action Network, said the smoking rate is high in Sullivan County: 24% of adults in the county smoke as opposed to a state-wide average of 15%. Part of the reason for that she said is that tobacco companies target low-income populations.

The local law was also supported by Star Hesse and Priscilla Bassett of the Senior Legislative Action Committee, and Nancy McGraw, director of Sullivan County Public Health.

Speaking on the other side of the issue was Steve Altman, president of Mountain Service Distributors in Fallsburg, which distributes tobacco and other products to convenience stores in the northeast.  

He said, “The problem with smoking in this county is the majority of smokers… are low-income people. They have very few pleasures in life, and as smokers know, smoking is pleasurable; it’s dangerous but it’s legal.”

Also speaking against the law was Paul Stock, who works for Verona Oil Company based in Roscoe, and owns numerous convenience stores, including six in Sullivan County.

One point he made is that teens 13 to 17 are not allowed to buy cigarettes, but they find a way to get them, and people aged 18 to 20 will also find a way.

Resident Ken Walters said he initially supported the measure until he researched and found it would not have an impact on very many possible future smokers. He was also concerned that people would go to Pennsylvania to buy cigarettes, and then spend money on other types of shopping.

Chris Lesser pointed out that 18-year-olds can get married, but they won’t be able to buy cigarettes. He said, “I think there’s too much government control with some of these rules and regulations.”

In the end, only legislator Mark McCarthy voted against the measure. While he said smoking was a “vile” practice, he said that 18-year-olds were considered adults and should be able to make their own choice about whether or not they should buy and smoke tobacco products.

The law will take effect on September 1.