New tobacco stores in the city of Peoria, Ill. are being pushed farther away from schools, as on Tuesday night the city council voted to amend city code to mandate at least 350 between the two. The previous minimum had been 100 feet.

The move is geared at keeping tobacco out of the hands of minors, with additional regulations passed at the meeting that ban the sales of e-cigarettes to minors, as well as ban the sale of any drug paraphernalia in the city. It also brings the town’s code regarding the distance between tobacco stores and schools in line with state statutes, which Peoria Council Member Tim Riggenbach told WMBD-TV was a priority.

The ordinance goes into effect in 10 days.

Peoria is the county seat of Peoria County, with a population of just under 120,000 people. It is located 166 miles southwest of Chicago.

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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.