Goodyear, Ariz. Raises Tobacco Purchasing Age to 21

The Phoenix, Ariz. area now has its first city where the age to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes is 21-years-old, as the Goodyear City Council unanimously passed a proposal to increase the age at its meeting on Monday.

In addition to the increase, the amended current restrictions on smoking, adding vaping to the list of prohibited products. The city currently prohibits smoking in city buildings or vehicles, parks and trails, and enclosed public places including workplaces, while mirroring state law which prohibits vaping or smoking at schools or at school events.

The city of Goodyear is the first city in Maricopa County to pass such an ordinance, with the increase going into effect immediately. However, the city has allowed for a grace period of 90 days, before issuing fines to retailers or others. Once full enforcement begins, violators will face a $500 fine for a first violation, a $1,000 fine for a second violation within 24 months, and then a $2,500 fine for a third violation within 24 months. Additionally, any enterprise found guilty of selling to persons under 21-years-old shall also be guilty of a misdemeanor, and punishable by a fine not to exceed $20,000

Goodyear joins Cottonwood and Douglas in having raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21 within the state. A proposal to raise the age to 21-years-old statewide failed in May.

Goodyear is home to approximately 85,000 residents and is located just west of Phoenix.

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.