The El Cerrito City Council has announced their plans to control tobacco use in the city, directing the assistant city manager to begin work on legislation that would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21, and banning smoking in parks and open spaces, on sidewalks, as well as in multifamily housing and commercial areas.

According to the Times-Herald, the council is also exploring the idea of hiring an enforcement officer that would be able to issue fines and citations for those in violation of the potential changes.

The council directed Karen Pinkos, assistant city manager, to have the proposals ready for its June 5 meeting and plans to have a final version ready by July or August.

El Cerrito is located in Contra Costa County, approximately 15 miles northeast of San Francisco. It is home to approximately 25,000 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.