At their June 9 meeting, the Malden Board of Health has voted to amend the city’s health rules and regulations and has increased the minimum age to purchase tobacco products within city limits from 18 to 21 years of age.

The move came after Mayor Gary Christenson testified before the Board of Health in support of raising the minimum age. He had held meetings with area teens regarding smoking and what can be done to prevent people from smoking, saying in a statement that he was surprised to learn how easily accessible all types of cigarettes are to minors.

The full text of the new regulations can be read here.

The change adds Malden to the list of 15 other towns in the state who have raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21, with another six having increased it to 19 years of age.

Malden is part of Middlesex County and home to approximately 60,000 residents, located about six miles north of Boston.

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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.