Kingston, Mass. became the second town this week to increase the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21-year-old, as the town’s board of health approved the proposal by a 4-1 vote at its meeting on Monday.

The age increase wasn’t the only tobacco-related change approved on Monday, as the board also voted to cap the number of tobacco retailer licenses at the current number of 18 and banned the sale of tobacco products within 500 feet of a school, according to Wicked Local Kingston.

Two proposals failed to pass however, one limiting the sale of flavored tobacco and another limiting the sale of blunt wraps. Both failed by a 3-2 vote.

The town council must still sign off on the changes before they become law.

Earlier this week, Methuen, Mass. voted to increase the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21, while Danvers, Mass. passed a similar increase last week.

Kingston is located in the southeastern corner of the state, about 35 miles southeast of Boston. It has an estimated population of nearly 13,000 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.