Connecticut Legislator Seeks Increase to Tobacco Purchase Age

A Connecticut legislator has introduced a bill that seeks to make the Constitution State the latest to enact a statewide minimum age of 21-years-old to purchase tobacco.

Rep. Gail Lavielle has authored and introduced H.B. 5131 to the state’s General Assembly, a bill that seeks to increase the minimum age to purchase tobacco products. While the full text has not yet been published, a summary does not make mention of a change in the age to possess tobacco products. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Public Health.

A similar bill was introduced and considered in 2017, though it failed to advance out of committee hearings and was ultimately tabled.

As of the start of 2019, six states have passed laws making 21-years-old the minimum age to purchase tobacco products: Hawaii, California, Oregon, New Jersey, Maine and Massachusetts. A number of states are looking to join that group, including New York, New Hampshire, Washington, Vermont, North Dakota, New Mexico, Virginia Texas and Illinois, which have legislation currently under consideration. Delaware is expected to join that group in the near future.

Recently, Hartford passed its own increase of the tobacco purchasing age to 21-years-old, while a similar bill is being debated in East Hartford.

This session, Connecticut legislators will also be considering a bill that would allow for the establishment of more cigar bars in the state.

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 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.