Florida will not be among the states to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old, as a bill seeking the increase died in the Seante’s Regulated Industries committee over the weekend.

On Saturday, the committee decided to indefinitely postpone S. 1288 and withdraw it from further consideration, rendering it dead this session.

The bill was introduced by Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, and sought to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21-years-old, with retailers who sell to a person under 21 would facing a fine of up to $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for a second. An individual under 21 who attempted to buy tobacco products by misrepresenting his age would face mandatory community service, with 20 hours prescribed for a first violation and 40 hours for a second violation within one year if found guilty of the noncriminal violation.

It’s the second straight year that a proposed increase has died in the Sunshine State, as last year, Sen. Darryl Ervin Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, introduced a similar bill that sought to make the tobacco purchasing age 21-years-old. It, too, died in the Senate’s Committee on Regulated Industries.

Florida joins a growing list of states where tobacco purchasing age increases have failed this year, a group that includes West Virginia, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Idaho, Alabama and Mississippi.

Five states have moved to make the minimum age 21-years-old: CaliforniaHawaiiMaine, New Jersey and Oregon have all raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old. Legislation remains active in Minnesota and Illinois seeking a similar increase.

Update — Shortly after this article was published, it was learned that Washington’s tobacco purchase age increase will not get approval this session.

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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.