SULLIVAN COUNTY — The Sullivan County Legislature approved a measure last week raising the minimum age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21-years-old. “Tobacco products” refers to any kind of substance made of or derived from tobacco and containing nicotine, including electronic vapor cigarettes.

Sullivan now joins Albany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Schenectady and Orange counties in increasing their minimum age requirement. Meanwhile the New York State Assembly is currently considering a resolution to raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products statewide.

Once the new law goes into effect on September 1, 2017, violators will be subject to a penalty of between $300 and $1,000 for a first offense of selling tobacco to a person under 21. Subsequent offenses are punishable with fines between $500 and $1,500.

“Tobacco marketing targets replacement smokers - young customers who can replace the older ones once they become too ill to smoke,” said Public Health Director Nancy McGraw. “It should be our goal to promote a culture of health for the young people in our county.”

Legislators hope the move will help younger residents make healthier choices. Sullivan County currently ranks 61 out of 62 counties for health standards in New York State.

Legislator Mark McCarthy was the only one of the nine opposed, feeling it to be governmental overreach.

Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez believes the new law will make it difficult for teenagers to get tobacco products.

“If somebody is in high school and 16 years old and he can't buy cigarettes, all he has to do is go to a friend who is 18, and you have a lot of [high school] kids who are 18 years old,” Alvarez said. “Now you have to jump it to somebody who is 21, and you are not going to see that person in school.”

Alvarez does admit, however, that the law does not prevent 18-year-olds from driving across state lines to purchase tobacco products.