A law to raise the legal minimum age for the sale of all tobacco products to age 21 was introduced in the Rensselaer County Legislature in January and may be subject to a vote as early as their March 13th meeting. Tobacco 21 is a policy option that has demonstrated significant results in reducing youth smoking and has already been adopted by both Albany and Schenectady counties.

If you would like to share your opinion on Tobacco 21, you can do so at the next Public Forum scheduled for Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 6:00 in the Legislative Chambers, 3rd Floor, 1600 Seventh Avenue in Troy. Or you can contact your legislator directly; a list of County Legislators along with contact information is available here.

You can read the specific proposal being considered by the Rensselaer County Legislature here.

For more information about T21, you can view testimony submitted to the Rensselaer County Legislature by the Public Health and Tobacco Policy Center here and a Letter to the Editor of the Troy Record from Samaritan and St. Mary’s Hospital CEO Norm Dascher here.