Nassau County legislators unanimously approved a law banning anyone under 21 from buying tobacco products in Nassau County last Wednesday.
The law, proposed by the Republican majority in April, came after years of GOP opposition to a Democratic effort to raise the age from 18.
The law mainly affects Oyster Bay, as similar laws already exist in North Hempstead and Hempstead.
The law will fine stores for selling tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, herbal cigarettes, rolling papers and electronic cigarettes to underage customers.
Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) said some lawmakers in his party had previously opposed the bill, believing those who are 19 or 20 are old enough to make the decision themselves.
However, he said, the rise in young people using e-cigarettes created a “new urgency.”
“I think it’s something that will be very beneficial to the health and well being of the young people in our county,” Nicolello said.
Legislator Arnold Drucker (D-Plainview) introduced a similar law last April.
His predecessor, the late Judy Jacobs, had been a proponent of raising the age for years.
“It’s long overdue legislation,” Drucker said. “I’m gratified and happy that it was passed, and that the Republican majority had finally come to their senses and realized that this piece of legislation that saves lives.”
In regards to the switch in the GOP view, Drucker speculated that the Republicans may have felt that they were “running out of excuses.”
Drucker and Nicolello both noted that most cigarette smokers start in their teens.
By raising the legal age to purchase tobacco, it helps prevent teens from picking up the habit, Drucker said.
