New York • Residents under 21 will soon be barred from buying cigarettes in New York City.
The City Council voted Wednesday to raise the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes and electronic-vapor cigarettes from 18 to 21. By passing the bill, New York became the most populous place in the U.S. to raise the tobacco-buying age that high. The city's current age limit of 18 is a federal minimum. It's standard in many places. At least two towns have agreed to raise it to 21.
The Associated Press