New Castle lawmakers passed a law last week that raised the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21.

Legislators in the Westchester town say a big spike in the number of teens who vape was a leading reason for passing the law.

"We want people to realize that vaping is as bad as cigarettes," said New Castle Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein.

Greenstein says the law passed the town board with unanimous support.

The new law also mandates that vaping products be sold behind store counters with cigarettes.

Greenstein says that the town also prohibited smoking in public parks and playgrounds last June and prohibited vape shops from opening 1,000 feet from a school in November.

New Castle joins more than a dozen areas in New York that have raised the tobacco age to 21.

Westchester County is now also considering a similar law.