Glenwood Springs, Colo. Approves Tobacco Purchasing Age Increase and Flavored Tobacco Ban; Voters Will Decide Tobacco Tax

Some changes will be coming to the tobacco laws in Glenwood Springs, and voters will have a chance to bring about a new tax when they head to the polls in November.

At its meeting on Thursday, the city council approved both an increase in the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old as well as a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products throughout the city. Additionally, it will send the question of whether or not the city should impose its own tax on tobacco products, a rate that would be set at $4 per pack of cigarettes and 40 percent of the wholesale price of other tobacco products, and would be in addition to the state’s existing tax of the same rate.

While the city did not list an effective date for the age increase and flavored tobacco ban, an article by PostIndependent.com said both would go into effect in the coming weeks. Should voters approve the tobacco tax, it would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

Glenwood Springs is home to just under 10,000 residents and is located approximately 150 miles west of Denver.

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, the G-League's Valley Suns, 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.