The Topeka City Council passed an ordinance on Monday night that will raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco and nicotine products from 18 to 21-years-old.

The ordinance passed by a vote of 8-2 and will go into effect 30 days following its publication in a designated newspaper, which should make the effective date shortly after the first of the year.

Persons selling or otherwise furnishing tobacco and nicotine products to persons under 21 will be subject to a minimum fine of $200.

Topeka becomes the 19th municipality in the state to pass what’s known as a “Tobacco 21” ordinance, a list headlined by Kansas City.

Topeka is the state capital of Kansas and home to approximately 127,000 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.