Some residents of the Hudson Valley may now have to wait an extra three years before purchasing tobacco products.

The Daily Freeman is reporting that a meeting of the Orange County legislature on Tuesday ended in a unanimous vote to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes from 18 to 21.

The vote happened on Tuesday during a meeting of the Health and Mental Health Committees. In order for the proposal to become a law the full legislature will have to vote on it.

This is a first big step, however, to making Orange County the first county in the Hudson Valley to raise the smoking age. In New York the legal age to buy tobacco is 18 unless you live in New York City or Suffolk, Albany, Schenectady, Chautauqua and Cortland counties where the age is 21. Nassau and Onondaga counties recently voted to raise the age to 19.

It's not clear if other counties in the area would follow suit if Orange County does vote to raise the tobacco age. Right now the legal age remains at 18 for Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan and other surrounding counties.

We want to know what you think. Should the smoking age be raised to 21? Let us know your thoughts on our official Facebook page or in the comments section below.

More From WPDH-WPDA