Rockland County, N.Y. will be one of the next municipalities to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old, as the bill that was passed by a 12-1 vote in the legislature in late March was returned unsigned by County Executive Ed Day, which means it will go into effect 90 days following its filing with the Secretary of State’s office.
That filing is expected to occur in the next 10 days, which would make the increase effective before the end of July. The law carries a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per day per violation for those selling or providing tobacco, e-cigarettes, or tobacco alternatives and paraphernalia to persons under 21. Enforcement of the law falls to the Rockland County Health Department, which already conducts spot checks for under age 18 compliance.
The county legislature made the announcement via its Facebook page on Thursday.
Rockland County is located just north of New York City, sitting along the western side of the Hudson River. It has a population of approximately 326,000 residents.