New York State Introduces Generational Tobacco Ban Bill
New York State has officially introduced a proposal for a generational tobacco ban. The proposed legislation seeks to make it illegal for any person born after December 31, 2007, to purchase tobacco products, including cigars, in perpetuity. Bill A11509 has already been read on the Assembly floor and referred to the Committee on Health, and it was introduced by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin of District 88, who represents areas in Westchester County that include Scarsdale, Bronxville and parts of New Rochelle and White Plains.
Should it pass in both the New York State Assembly chambers and the Senate, the law would take effect January 1, 2028.
If this becomes law, anyone in New York State currently younger than 21 will never be legally permitted to purchase cigars or any tobacco product, even once they turn 21 years old (the legal age to purchase tobacco goods in the United States). Those currently of age will keep their legal right to purchase tobacco products, but future generations will never gain the right.
A11509 applies to any product that delivers nicotine, meaning everything from vapes, chewing tobacco and cigarettes to cigars. The bill even includes smoking paraphernalia and rolling papers as part of the ban.
The latest proposal reflects a growing trend among legislative bodies across the world. “This is living proof of how bad ideas spread,” says Glynn Loope, director of state advocacy for the Premium Cigar Association (PCA). A11509 draws a direct line to generational tobacco bans that have been passed in other jurisdictions, referencing the examples set by Brookline, Massachusetts and the United Kingdom as part of the “justification” section in this bill. The United Kingdom’s generational tobacco ban officially became law last month and Brookline, Massachusetts, a township outside of Boston, is one of several local jurisdictions in Massachusetts that have recently enacted a generational ban into law.
New York State is one of the leading markets for handmade cigars, and the fourth largest state in the country, with a population of roughly 20 million people. The prospect of this new proposal becoming law is unclear at this stage, but it is likely to set a precedent other states will attempt to follow. The domino effect has been under way for years, and New York is just the latest piece to fall.
“This modern attempt at prohibition takes a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores clear differences among tobacco products and unfairly sweeps premium cigars, a handcrafted product enjoyed responsibly by adults,” said the PCA in a statement.
The PCA has set up a petition to fight this ban and is meeting with the board of the New York Cigar Association today to discuss next steps. You can support said petition here.
