Carbondale, Colo. Raising Tobacco Purchase Age to 21

An increase in the minimum age to purchase tobacco products will be coming to the town of Carbondale, Colo., as the town’s board of trustees approved an increase at its meeting on Tuesday.

The increase will go into effect 30 days after it is publicized in the town’s newspaper. Once it does, a person who knowingly sells tobacco products to a person under 21-years-old will face a fine of $100 for a first offense, $250 or a summons with a fine of up to $2,650 for a second offense, and $500 or a summons with a fine up to $2,650 for a third offense. A fourth offense also generates a summons with a fine up to $2,650.

Proprietors of tobacco retailing establishments can also be held liable of its employees for selling to a minor, with fines ranging between $1,000 and $2,000.

People under 21-years-old can also be fined for attempting to buy tobacco products as well as possessing such products; those fines start at $100 and go up to $500 for a third offense.

Carbondale is home to approximately 6,800 residents and is located 170 miles west of Denver.

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, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, 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.