After the Kentucky House of Representatives approved a bill that will raise the state’s minimum age tobacco and nicotine purchasing and possession  age to 21-years-old, it now heads to the desk of Gov. Andy Beshear for his signature in order to become law.

The House of Representatives passed S.B. 56 by a vote of 64-20 this week, with the state Senate passing by by a 28-10 vote in January. The bill brings the state into compliance with a federal age increase signed into law in December, while also making changes to definitions in the law regarding tobacco products and vapor products. It also gives law enforcement and other enforcement agencies to confiscate any tobacco or nicotine products found to be in the possession of a person under 21, while removing any penalties levied on such a person.

The bill was delivered to the governor on March 19 and currently awaits his signature. Since the bill had an emergency clause added to it during the legislative process, it would go into effect immediately upon receiving the governor’s signature.

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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, 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.