On Monday, Iowa’s governor, Kim Reynolds, signed SF 2268 into law, which immediately raised the state’s minimum age to purchase tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21-years-old.
The bill received overwhelming support in both chambers of the state’s legislature; the House approved it in mid-June by an 84-13 vote, while the Senate passed it in March by a 43-6 vote.
Iowa’s minimum purchasing age for tobacco is now in line with the federal age that was raised to 21 at the end of 2019.
This will allow local law enforcement to enforce the minimum age, as well as keep the state eligible for federal grant money designed to be used for substance abuse programs, which one state representative said could be worth up to $3 million.
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.