A new area of the country has jumped on the bandwagon to increase the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes: Helena and West Helena, Ark.

The city council unanimously approved the proposal during its meeting on Tuesday night, and the increase to a minimum age of 21-years-old will go into effect on Sept. 1, according to ArkansasMatters.com.

Helena-West Helena is located on the eastern side of the state, approximately 120 miles east of Little Rock and had a 2010 population estimate of 12,282 residents.

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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.