New York City Raises Tobacco Age to 21

New York City on Tuesday became the first major city in the country to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone under age of 21.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who signed the landmark legislation, said the crackdown will stop some young adults from getting addicted at an early age and thus cut down on the number of people who die from tobacco-related illnesses.

Some retailers opposed the age increase, arguing that it would drive young adults to the black market. 

Jim Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores, told NBC New York that "Every 18-year-old who walks out of a convenience store is just going to go to the guy in the white van on the corner."