Albany

Albany County lawmakers on Monday became the latest in New York to raise the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 — sending the law to County Executive Dan McCoy for his signature.

The measure passed 24-13 with one abstention, putting Albany County in the company of New York City and Suffolk and Chautauqua counties in New York in embracing the so-called Tobacco 21 push.

Chautauqua County's law passed in late April, and just last week Gov. Jerry Brown of California signed legislation barring people under the age of 21 — excluding active duty military personnel — from buying tobacco products. Hawaii was the first state to do so last June.

Nationwide, at least 143 municipalities have passed similar legislation, according to the Ohio-based Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation, which has been pushing the national Tobacco 21 effort.

Bills to raise the age to 21 statewide in New York failed to get out of committee in either the Assembly or Senate last year.

McCoy, a Democrat, has not said whether he will sign the law and typically refuses to comment on legislation until he has held his own public hearing. Passage by fewer than 24 votes would have meant the measure was not veto-proof.

The measure also applies to electronic cigarettes and related paraphernalia.

New York's minimum age to buy cigarettes is 18. Two other New York counties, Nassau and Onondaga, have raised it to 19.

The Albany County law was sponsored by Guilderland Democrat Paul Miller, who said he hoped raising the age would help get cigarettes out of high schools and prevent people from taking up the habit at all.

Among other justifications, lawmakers pointed to a report by the Institute of Medicine, an affiliate of the National Academies of Sciences, that said about 90 percent of smokers start before the age of 19.

But the convenience store lobby argued the effort is misguided because studies have shown that most teenagers get their cigarettes from friends or relatives, not retailers who are already subject to state scrutiny including underage sale stings.

"I'm thrilled legislators backed this important health initiative," Miller said in a statement following the vote. "It will reduce the amount of people who get addicted to nicotine by stopping them from smoking at an early age."

Store owners who violate the law by selling to people under the age of 21 would face a civil penalty between $300 and $1,000 for a first offense and between $500 and $1,500 for subsequent violations.

jcarleo-evangelist@timesunion.com • 518-454-5445 • @JCEvangelist_TU