New York City legislation would require hiding of tobacco displays

NEW YORK — In spite of a court ruling striking down a ban on large-sized sugary drinks, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has another health initiative in the works: a requirement that retailers hide tobacco products.

Bloomberg's legislation, which would make New York the first city to keep tobacco products out of the sight of customers, will go to the city council for consideration. The New York Times noted that Bloomberg skipped this procedure with the soft drink rule.

The new regulations on tobacco would still be less stringent than those in San Francisco and Boston, which have banned pharmacy retailers from selling tobacco products altogether.

The mayor's office noted that 28,000 public high school students in New York tried smoking for the first time in 2011, and 19,000 public high school students younger than 18 smoked, citing statistics indicating that young people frequently exposed to tobacco product displays are 2.5 times more likely to start smoking than those who are not exposed.