February 1, 2020 Patrick Lagreid Age Restrictions,  Regulations

Hawaii Legislators Propose Raising Tobacco Purchasing Age to 25

Just as the ink on a federal increase to the tobacco purchasing age has dried, a pair of legislators in Hawaii have introduced a bill to raise the age to purchase tobacco to 25-years-old.

HB 2507 would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes by four years, giving the state the highest minimum age to purchase tobacco in the country. The state was also the first to raise the minimum purchasing age to 21, approving a Tobacco 21 bill in 2015.

It would also increase the minimum age to possess tobacco products or e-cigarettes, as well as raise the fine for violators from $10 to $50 for a first offense, and from $50 to $100 for a second offense, though a court could substitute a punishment of between 48 to 72 hours of community service in place of the fine.

The bill was introduced by Reps. Richard Creegan, D-5, and John Mizuno, D-28. Should the bill be approved, the increase would go into effect on July 1, 2020. It is currently scheduled to be heard by the House Health Committee on Feb. 4.

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Hawaii HB 2507 John Mizuno Richard Creegan tobacco purchasing age
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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 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.

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