The Chicago suburb of Evanston is expected to consider raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in city limits to 21-years-old, as the Evanston Health Action Council was scheduled to appear before the city’s Board of Aldermen’s Human Services Committee on Monday night and encourage them to make the change.

According to EvanstonNow.com, the city is looking at the progress made in Needham, Mass. in reducing smoking among high school students as one of the key reasons for considering the change.

No ordinance has been drafted yet and there is no voting on the discussion item, meaning a change to the minimum purchase age would still be a ways off.

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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.