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No reason was given for the closure of C and R Stationary, 26 S. Highland Ave. The store had come under fire from community members for selling drug and tobacco paraphernalia across the street from the high school. While the store did not sell any actual cigarettes or drugs, it did sell e-cigarettes and water pipes.
Alice Joselow, coordinator for Ossining Communities That Care, said people in Ossining were concerned about the store selling pipes and bongs.
“We are hopeful when new businesses open across the street from Ossining High School they will seek to promote positive youth development by not selling any tobacco/drug use products,” Joselow said.
The store’s closure comes on the heels of state Assemblywoman Sandy Galef (D-Ossining) proposing legislation that would ban drug and tobacco paraphernalia from being sold within a certain distance from a school. Galef’s Ossining office at 2 Church St. was around the corner from the stationary store.
“Ossining was not the only place where stores like this were popping up across from high schools,” Galef said. “They are trying to entice young people to smoke. It is the wrong place for a store like that.”
Galef said she supports raising the age of smoking from 18 to 19 to block high schoolers from smoking.
“A majority of high schoolers get cigarettes from their 18-year old friends,” Galef said. “We can prevent that by raising the age to 19. It’s very hard to stop smoking and it causes health issues. Let’s make it harder for high schoolers to obtain cigarettes.”
The assemblywoman said she was pleased the store shut down, noting the controversy of the past few months.
"We have Lucy’s Pizza and a bakery across the street, which is great,” Galef said. “I could never figure out why that shop was there."
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