Health

Speaker Wants to Raise Smoking Age to 21

Joined by health and anti-smoking advocates, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced last week that the Council would introduce legislation that ups the minimum age requirement on tobacco purchases from 18 to 21. If passed, New York City will become the first major city in the United States to hold a 21 years of age minimum.

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The Norwood News, which has covered the northwest Bronx for nearly 25 years, is one of the city’s only nonprofit community newspapers. We continue to provide hyper-local news coverage, features and invaluable community information. This spring, we need your help. For the first time, we are conducting a quick readership survey to get a better idea of who you are and how we can serve you better. We will take this information and use it to take our reporting, coverage and presentation to the next level. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey here and enter for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the Norwood News advertiser of your choice. Thanks for your help. We can’t do this without you.

Be Healthy: Time to Start Preparing for Spring Allergy Season

An estimated 35 million Americans suffer from allergies, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. More commonly called hay fever, seasonal allergic irritation results in symptoms that include itchy eyes, nose and throat, sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, tearing or dark circles under the eyes. Listed here are some tips to help you reduce the affects of spring allergies.

Bronx Notes: Free Fitness For Those 50-plus

Shape Up NYC offers free fitness classes for ages 50+ at the following locations: Mosholu Montefiore Senior Center, 3450 DeKalb Ave. (Senior Fitness), Fridays at 10:30 a.m.; St. James Recreation Center, 2530 Jerome Ave., (Zumba), Wednesdays at 9 a.m. and Thursdays at 7 p.m.; and Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, (Cardio Sculpt), Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. (through April 13).

Be Healthy: Stepping Up for Health

A new effort in the Bronx wants to pay you to use staircases for exercise. Lawrence Murphy and Alvin Niere, the duo responsible for the fledgling Bronx Steps Up program, see the initiative tackling two goals: promoting exercise and healthy living to combat obesity and, at the same time, raising money to renovate a deteriorating borough treasure, the Bronx’s street steps.

Bronx Notes: Norwood Food Co-op (Early Registration Deadline is Today)

Join the Norwood Food Coop (share prices vary according to family size) and choose from fresh organic vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs, cheese and yogurt, from June to November, all for less than green market prices, in exchange for a few hours’ work with other coop members. The coop accepts SNAP/EBT/food stamps and has installment payment plans. Registration deadline is April 26; discounted registration is March 27.

Bronx Notes: Free Trees!

MillionTreesNYC is giving out free trees in April at several locations throughout the Bronx. Claim a tree or fruit tree for your home, community garden, or even commercial property. They will have several Bronx tree giveaways at the following dates and locations: March 30 at Hunts Point Riverside Park, Lafayette Avenue, from 10 a.m.-noon; April 6, at River Garden, East 180th Street and Devoe Avenue from 10 a.m.-noon; April 14 at the Woodlawn Cemetery entrance at Jerome Avenue and Bainbridge Avenue from 9 a.m.-11 a.m.; April 14 at Van Cortlandt Park, Mosholu Avenue and Broadway, from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.; April 28 at Wave Hill’s visitor parking lot from 9 a.m.-11 a.m.