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(AP) - WAIT TO SMOKE: Young New Yorkers who want to light up will soon have to wait for their 21st birthdays before they can buy a pack of smokes after lawmakers in the nation's most populous city voted overwhelmingly to raise the tobacco-purchasing age from 18 to 21.
ONE OF FEW: The City Council's vote Wednesday makes New York one of only a few places throughout the United States that have tried to stymie smoking among young people by raising the purchasing age. The council also approved a bill that sets a minimum $10.50-a-pack price for tobacco cigarettes.
BLOOMBERG BACKS: Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a strong supporter of tough smoking restrictions, has 30 days to sign the bills into law.
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