NATION IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Council Votes to Ban Cigarette Giveaways
The New York City Council voted 33 to 0 to bar tobacco companies from giving out free cigarettes to potential customers or smokers. The main target, according to the bill’s sponsor, Councilman Sal Albanese, was to stop people age 18 or younger from being tempted to smoke. Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Youth Services, Albanese said the legislation would bar individuals and businesses from distributing tobacco products in public places or at public events for free or at any price less than the combined cost of the required taxes. The bill still needs the approval of Mayor David N. Dinkins.
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