New York to raise cigarette buying age to 21
A man lights a cigarette with a lighter on September 6, 2012. Swiss voters struck down a ban on smoking in public places in a referendum September 23, 2012.
New York City Council passed a bill to raise the minimum age for buying cigarettes and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21.
Lawmakers passed the bill with a vote of 35 to 10.
Federal US law does not allow anyone under the age of 18 to buy tobacco anywhere in the country, although some states and localities have raised it to 19.
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Some communities, like Needham, Mass., have already raised the minimum age to 21, but New York will be the largest city to do so when Mayor Michael Bloomberg signs the bill.
City Councilman James Gennaro, the cigarette bill's sponsor, said it would "literally save many, many lives."
"I've lived with it, I've seen it… but I feel good today," said Gennaro, whose mother and father both died from tobacco-related illnesses.
Bloomberg also noted that the new law should prevent more teenagers from developing a smoking habit, which would save their lives.
More than 80 percent of smokers in New York started smoking before the age of 21.
About 7,000 New Yorkers die of of causes related to smoking every year.
Opponents of the measure have said that 18-year-olds are legally considered adults and should be able to make their own decisions regarding smoking. Some have also voiced concerns that young people may turn to the black market to buy cigarettes.
Bloomberg now has 30 days to sign the bill into law, which would then come into effect after 180 days.