It almost didn’t come to be, but Idaho now has a bill in its senate that is seeking to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and alternative nicotine delivery products.

On Friday, Sen. Fred Martin, R-Boise, introduced S.B. 1106, but it took convincing the Senate State Affairs Committee to print the bill, as there appeared to be a lack of a motion, according to a report from MagicValley.comThe issue, as it has been in numerous other cities, towns and states, was whether to limit the choice of an adult when it comes to a legal product.

Martin is seeking to make both purchase and possession of tobacco products illegal, proposing a fine of $17.50 for a person under 21-years-old to be in possession of or using tobacco. Should that person try and use a fake identification to purchase tobacco, they could be fined $200 for a first offense and up to $300 and/or 30 days in jail.

Retailers would continue to face fines starting at $100 for selling to an underage person, an amount that goes to $400 for second and third offenses and can come with a suspension of one’s tobacco sales permit.

The bill has not been scheduled for action at this point.

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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.