Duluth, Minn. Raises Tobacco Purchasing Age to 21

On Monday night, the Duluth City Council approved an ordinance to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and tobacco alternatives to 21-years-old, adding another municipality to the steadily growing list of cities and counties in the state to pass such increases.

The ordinance passed its second reading by a 5-2 vote, with one member absent. While it raises the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, it does not change the minimum age to possess them, which remains at 18-years-old.

The increase is set to go into effect 120 days following its passage and publication, which would be just before the end of May.

The city joins more than 20 municipalities to increase the minimum purchasing age for tobacco to 21-years-old, including Minneapolis, which passed an increase last October, and most recently, Beltrami County, which passed its increase just over a week ago. There is also a bill in the state legislature that seeks to make 21 the statewide age to purchase tobacco products.

Duluth is home to just over 86,000 residents.

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.