Yesterday, you only had to be 18 years old to purchase tobacco in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnshire, Ill. Today, you must be 21, as the village’s board voted in favor of the increase at its meeting on Monday night which applies to electronic smoking devices and accessories as well, and went into effect immediately.

The ordinance does not affect the minimum age to possess or use tobacco or alternative nicotine delivery products, which remains at 18-years-old.

The increase brings another municipality into the Tobacco 21 movement that has been growing around the Chicago area, which includes Chicago, Maywood, Oak Park, Evanston, Deerfield, Naperville and Highland Park. A bill has also under consideration in the state legislature to increase the tobacco purchase age to 21 statewide.

Lincolnshire is located just over 30 miles northwest of Chicago and is home to approximately 7,500 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.