Louisiana House Defeats Tobacco Purchase Age Increase

Louisiana will not be joining the Tobacco 21 movement, at least not via legislation passed at the state level.

On Thursday, the state’s House of Representatives defeated H.B. 38 on its third reading by a vote of 24-55, bringing an end to its legislative journey this session. The bill was introduced by Rep. Frank Hoffman, R-15.

The bill went through several amendments prior to the final vote, including adding exemptions for military personnel, first responders and law enforcement, as well as people who would have turned 18 prior to the increase’s proposed effective date, but it was not enough to appease opponents, with some calling all the exemptions confusing and thus a burden on retailers.

Even without Louisiana, the Tobacco 21 movement has had great success in 2019, adding several states to bring the total to more than a dozen that have raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old.

The state could still see the minimum age to purchase tobacco products go up to 21-years-old as several bills are currently being considered at the federal level, including one sponsored by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

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 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.