![Hudson Valley County Raises Smoking Age To 21](http://townsquare.media/site/704/files/2017/06/GettyImages-463294171.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Hudson Valley County Raises Smoking Age To 21
The Tobacco 21 Law is a nationwide effort to get the legal smoking age raised from 18 to 21. Several counties in New York have already approved the law, and now, the Hudson Valley has seen its first county take that step.
Orange County signed legislation back in January to enact Tobacco 21, and it went into effect at the beginning of June. The law was unanimously approved by the Orange County Legislature.
Under the new law, retailers who sell to tobacco to people under 21 could be fined up to a thousand dollars for a first offense and even more than that for repeat violations. The new law could help significantly decrease the number of smokers, and in turn, the number of smoking-related diseases and deaths. If it's more difficult for people to obtain cigarettes, it's only logical that fewer people will smoke them.
I believe we're going to see more counties in the area adopt Tobacco 21 very soon. Sullivan County signed it into law in April, which should go into effect in the coming months. Do you think your town is going to be next?
More From Hudson Valley Post
![So You Want to Be an Uber or Lyft Driver? Here’s What You Need to Know](http://townsquare.media/site/704/files/2017/06/RS3668_164122233.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Hudson Valley Man Jailed For Shooting Officer](http://townsquare.media/site/854/files/2017/06/Blanchard1.png?w=980&q=75)
![Orange County Man Jailed For Injuring Police Officers and Others In High Speed Drunken Crash](http://townsquare.media/site/854/files/2017/06/pelso.png?w=980&q=75)
![Hudson Valley Woman Stole From Elderly, Police Say](http://townsquare.media/site/854/files/2017/06/RS3188_86537896.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Police: Man Impaired By Drugs, Alcohol Drove 10 MPH on Local Highway](http://townsquare.media/site/854/files/2017/06/RS14619_494390100.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Man Driving On I-87 Found With 8 Loaded Guns, Drugs](http://townsquare.media/site/854/files/2017/06/pjimage-25.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Kingston Man Charged After Urinating on Saugerties Lawn, Police Say](http://townsquare.media/site/854/files/2017/06/google-maps.png?w=980&q=75)
![Orange County Man Pleads Guilty To Tax Fraud, Illegal Dumping](http://townsquare.media/site/854/files/2017/06/otte.png?w=980&q=75)
![Donations for Village of Wappingers Fire Victims Stolen](http://townsquare.media/site/705/files/2017/06/wappingers-fire.jpg?w=980&q=75)