Leaders in the borough of Hillsdale, N.J. have said no to a proposal seeking to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 19 to 21, with the negative economic impact to business cited as the main driver for its defeat.

At its Nov. 10 meeting, the borough council voted 2-4 in opposition, with several council members and the mayor telling NorthJersey.com that they felt the change should be made at the state level. As such, the council did give the green light to a resolution that will send a letter to state leaders seeking the increase there.

Hillsdale is located just over 20 miles north of Newark and home to just over 10,000 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.