MEDIA ADVISORY - News Conference Tuesday 5/24 at 11:00 a.m.

ALBANY, NY (05/23/2016)(readMedia)-- NEWS CONFERENCE: Why the Albany County Tobacco 21 Law Should be Vetoed

DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 11:00 a.m.

PLACE: Airport Mobil, 1114 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham NY (corner of Route 7 and Albany Shaker Road)

PARTICIPATING: Christian King, proprietor of Airport Mobil; and Jim Calvin, President, New York Association of Convenience Stores

CONTACT: Jim Calvin, 518-441-4918, jim@nyacs.org

How effective will Albany County's new Tobacco 21 law be if County Executive Dan McCoy signs it following the public hearing he is holding this Thursday?

Visit an Albany County convenience store situated one-tenth of a mile from the border of Schenectady County, where the tobacco purchase age would remain 18.

Think the 18, 19, and 20-year-olds who buy cigarettes at this location are just going to quit smoking if the law gets signed? Think they'll no longer be able to give or sell cigarettes to younger kids? Think again.

This is only one example of the regrettable futility of the Tobacco 21 law – a measure County Executive Dan McCoy should veto as the wrong solution to curbing youth access to tobacco in Albany County.