There is now a fifth county in New York state where people must be at least 21-years-old to purchase tobacco products, and it’s Schenectady County.

The Schenectady County Legislature approved the increase by an 8-4 vote during its meeting on Tuesday night, which also applies to e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine products. Those who sell tobacco, e-cigarettes or liquid nicotine will continue to be subject to fines that range from $300 to $1,000 for the first offense and jump from $500 to $1,500 for subsequent violations.

The new law goes into effect on September 1.

Schenectady County joins Albany, Chautauqua, Suffolk and Cortland counties, as well as New York City, in raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco.

Schenectady County is home to just over 155,000 residents.

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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.