In New York, the legal age to purchase tobacco and e-cigs is officially 21.
Although the news of the age raise is not new, the law officially went into action on November 13, 2019. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that with the age raise, he hopes to prevent young adults from getting addicted to cigarettes and vaping products.
NBC reports that 40 percent of 12th-grade students and 27 percent of high school students now use e-cigarettes. The increase is being credited to the flavored liquids for the e-cigs.
Surgeon General said that 88 percent of adult smokers started smoking when they were a minor.
Cuomo did try to ban e-cigarettes, but a court blocked that.
When it comes to vaping, the CDC’s most recent update shows that as of November 5, 2019, there have been 2,051 cases of e-cigarette or vaping product use associated with lung injury. Forty-nine states, Washington DC and one U.S. territory have reported cases of these illnesses. Additionally, there have been 39 deaths in a variety of states, including two deaths that have taken place in New York City.
The CDC also recently shared that 14 percent of patients suffering from lung illnesses are under 18 years old, and 40 percent of the patients suffering are somewhere between 18 to 24.
