A proposal to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old in Columbia County, N.Y. has failed, as the Columbia County Board of Health said it’s an issue that should be left to the state and would have adverse impacts to businesses should they pass it. While the board supports the idea of limiting tobacco access to minors, it didn’t show its support via this measure, as Board of Health President Patricia DiGrigoli told WTEN-TV that she hadn’t seen proof that increasing the minimum purchase age actually helped limit tobacco use, as many people would simply go to neighboring counties where the age remains 18. Several counties in New York have increased the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, including Schenectady, Albany, Chautauqua, Suffolk and Cortland counties, as well as New York City, in raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco. Columbia County is located in southeastern New York, along the Massachusetts border, and is home to approximately 63,000 residents.
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