Paterson City Council considers Tobacco 21 ordinance (Paterson Times, reporter Jayed Rahman)
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On Tuesday October 8, 2015, the Paterson City Council discussed a possible ordinance to raise the age of tobacco and e-cigarettes sales to 21. It would require sellers only sell such products to persons over 21. The Department of Health provided resources on the initiative, and invited GASP to serve as an educational resource provider.
GASP noted that twelve towns in New Jersey already require age of sale at 21 for such products, and cited to numerous national studies showing how tobacco 21 helps to reduce access of tobacco products. The federal government recently estimated that 250,000 lives would be saved if the age of sale is raised to 21. GASP also noted that 90% of all smokers start before age 21.
Read the Paterson Times story for more details on the Council workshop discussion on October 8.