A proposal to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old in Columbia County, N.Y. has failed, as the Columbia County Board of Health said it’s an issue that should be left to the state and would have adverse impacts to businesses should they pass it.

While the board supports the idea of limiting tobacco access to minors, it didn’t show its support via this measure, as Board of Health President Patricia DiGrigoli told WTEN-TV that she hadn’t seen proof that increasing the minimum purchase age actually helped limit tobacco use, as many people would simply go to neighboring counties where the age remains 18.

Several counties in New York have increased the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, including Schenectady, Albany, Chautauqua, Suffolk and Cortland counties, as well as New York City, in raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco.

Columbia County is located in southeastern New York, along the Massachusetts border, and is home to approximately 63,000 residents.

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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.