New York Raises Smoking Age This Week

The debate has been going on all year but starting Wednesday, the legal smoking age in New York will be older.

As of Wednesday, November 13th, you must be 21 years old to buy cigarettes legally in the state of New York, according to CBS 6.

The Department of Health has reported that 27 percent of high school students have started using e-cigarettes. Governor Andrew Cuomo is trying to stop tobacco products from "getting into the hands of our youth." Now, the legal age to buy both e-cigarettes and tobacco products is 21.

New York isn't the first state to make this decision. Sixteen states total have so far raised their legal smoking age, even if they may not technically take effect until the end of 2019 or in the next couple of years.

Between taking flavored juices for e-cigarettes off of the shelves and now, this change happening on Wednesday, the government is really trying to crack down on cigarette usage in the younger generation. Time will be the only tell if it will lessen the usage or just make more sketchy ways for kids to get what they're looking for.