Vermont is the latest state to start a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 down the legislative process, as H. 93 was heard by the House Committee on Human Services on Tuesday.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. George Till, D-Jericho, gave the committee his pitch to move the bill forward, one that was centered around keeping tobacco out of the hands of 18 to 20 year olds as well as individuals under 18-years-old in an attempt to keep them from getting addicted at a younger age, according to Vermont Public Radio.

While no vote was taken by the committee, some members expressed concern that an increase could be met with opposition from the military as well as broader objection similar to when the age to consume alcohol was increased to 21.

It’s the second straight year that a bill to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products has been considered by the state’s House of Representatives. Like last year’s version, the bill would make both the purchase or possession of tobacco products, tobacco substitutes or tobacco paraphernalia by those under 21 a crime; possession by a person under 21 would be subject to a fine of $25 or the suspension of the individual’s driver’s license for up to 90 days, while using a fake ID to purchase tobacco would earn a person a $50 fine and/or up to ten hours of community service.

There would also be fines of between $100 and $500 for persons providing tobacco products to individuals under 21 years of age.

No further action on the bill has been announced yet; should it eventually pass the Virginia General Assembly, it would go into effect on July 1.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.