'Tobacco 21' legislation takes effect Jan. 1, 2019
Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, it will be against the law to sell tobacco products in Ulster County to people under 21 years old.
Ulster County Executive Michael Hein signed the “Tobacco 21” legislation during a ceremony Wednesday outside Ellenville Regional Hospital.
“I am proud to sign Tobacco 21 into law today and recognize the incredibly important work by our Department of Health and Mental Health and local community partners to advance this vital legislation,” Hein said. “It will help prevent many people from ever experiencing
the severe health impacts of smoking in the future by making it more difficult to start.”
Wednesday’s signing was the culmination of a twoyear effort by Hein to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in Ulster County from 18 to 21, and it makes the county the latest in the state to ban the sale of tobacco products to people ages 18 to 20.
Orange, Sullivan, Rockland and Westchester also are among New York counties that bar the sale of tobacco products to people under 21. An effort to raise the purchase age in Dutchess County was unsuccessful.
Hein first called for the county to consider raising the age of tobacco purchases
in 2016 and also called on legislators to ban the use of e-cigarettes anywhere on county property where the use of other tobacco products are banned.
The Ulster County Legislature added the use of e-cigarettes to the items banned for use under the county’s Clean Air Act, but it declined to advance the Tobacco 21 proposal until this year.
Hein renewed his call for Tobacco 21 in his State of the County address this year, saying the move could reduce the number of tobacco-related deaths and move Ulster closer to becoming a healthier county.
The Legislature unanimously approved the Tobacco 21 legislation in May.