Elected officials in Albany County, N.Y. has passed an increase to the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, approving the proposal 24-13 with one abstention on Monday and sending it to county executive Dan McCoy for his signature.

Should McCoy sign it, it will make Albany County the second in the state to pass such an increase this year, as Chatuatqua County passed an increase at the end of April. Suffolk County passed an increase in April 2014, while New York City, which has five counties in its borders, passed an increase in May 2014. Legislation at the state level has yet to advance out of either chamber.

McCoy has not said whether or not he will sign it, according to TimesUnion.com. The 24 votes indicate that the county council could override a veto should the county executive go that route.

Albany County had a 2013 population estimate of 306,945 people.

Update (June 8, 2016) — Albany County Executive Dan McCoy signed the bill into law today, and it goes into effect immediately after being filed with the Secretary of State. This story was originally published on May 10, 2016.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.