NYC Council Votes To Raise Age To Buy Tobacco (VIDEO)

by Austin Petersen

You Don’t Own Your Body at 18, But The Government Does

NEW YORK, NY – The New York City Council voted today to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco from the federal standard of 18 years of age to 21. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign the measure.

New York City Councilman James Gennaro said, “This, I believe, is the next big thing for the city, and hopefully for the state and for the country.”

Citizens raised the question of why it is OK to send a person off to die for their country if they can’t make adult decisions as to what to do with their body. This will also encourage the black market, which forces young people into becoming criminals where they wouldn’t have been before.

During Bloomberg’s dozen years in office he has imposed some of the highest taxes on cigarettes, barred them from restaurants, parks, beaches and bars. Now city officials may be turning their sites to e-cigarettes and are said to be considering raising the age for those as well.


Austin Petersen is a homegrown Missourian with a lifelong passion for liberty. He grew up on a horse farm in Peculiar, Missouri and went on to attend Missouri State University, graduating with a degree in the Fine Arts. After developing a career in media in both New York City and Washington, D.C., he returned to Kansas City, MO, the city he now calls home. In 2016, Petersen appeared on the national stage as a candidate for president of the United States. He took second place in the crowded Libertarian primary behind Governor Gary Johnson and ahead of cyber security maverick John McAfee. During his campaign, Petersen earned many high-profile conservative endorsements, including Mary Matalin, Erick Erickson and Leon Wolf of RedState.com. Petersen also brings decades of professional experience in a wide variety of fields, from content production and media to business and political activism. He is the owner and chief executive of Stonegait LLC, a consulting firm specializing in photo and video services. He was also the director of production at FreedomWorks and an associate producer for Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show “Freedom Watch” on the Fox Business Network. Additionally, Petersen has a national following as a commentator and professional pundit. He is the founder of The Libertarian Republic, a powerful online news source for the public that receives an average of 1 million unique visits monthly and whose podcast, The Freedom Report, receives an average of one million monthly downloads. He is also a frequent contributor on television, appearing on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC and on dozens of local radio shows.

2 comments

Michael Cohen October 30, 2013 at 11:34 pm

Great ! So all smoking and related issues will be gone now. IDIOTS!

Brian Jensen October 30, 2013 at 11:51 pm

Because no one smokes or drinks underage.

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