Cigarette Sales Banned 1,000 Feet From Hudson Valley Schools?

A proposed law will make it illegal to sell cigarettes within 1,000 feet of some local schools. Some oppose the measure, saying it's too restrictive. Others applaud it.

Time Warner Cable News reports that Kingston was swarming with people on both sides of the debate on Tuesday, as the Ulster County Legislature decides on a new law that is aimed at protecting children from tobacco.

The new law would make it illegal for businesses to get a tobacco license if they are located within 1,000 feet of a school.  The Ulster County commissioner of health and mental health, Dr. Carol Smith, spoke about the dangers of young people smoking. She shared a startling statistic that says over 100,000 New York State high schoolers currently smoke.

Business owners voiced their opposition to the law, saying that it unfairly targets them. Tobacco is a big money maker and some small businesses fear that they will be at a disadvantage if they can't sell it.

The law would only affect new businesses, as established stores that already sell tobacco would be "grandfathered in."

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