While a statewide increase to the tobacco purchasing age is going to Massachusetts, a number of cities and towns are deciding that it won’t happen fast enough and are passing their own increases. That list grew once again recently as the Hingham Board of Health passed an increase in the minimum age from 19 to 21-years-old that will go into effect on Dec. 30.

That date is key, as the language in the state’s increase says that individuals who attained the age of 18 before Dec. 31, 2018 would be allowed to continue purchasing tobacco products, though they would be subject to any municipal ordinance or other regulation that prohibited sales of tobacco products or vapor products to persons under the age of 19, 20 or 21 in effect on Dec. 30, 2018.

In 2014, Hingham joined a group of cities increasing the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18, passing an increase to 19-years-old.

Hingham is located 17 miles southeast of Boston and is home to approximately 22,000 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.