While the Illinois legislature considers a statewide increase in the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, the Chicago suburb of Mount Prospect has passed its own increase, waving the second reading requirement during its meeting on Tuesday.

The ordinance does not change the minimum age to possess tobacco, leaving it at 18-years-old. Additionally, the ordinance gives the city new leverage to suspend or revoke a tobacco retailer’s license for selling tobacco to a person under 21-years-old.

The proposal passed by a 5-1 vote and goes into effect immediately upon passage and publication.

Mount Prospect is located 20 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and is home to approximately 54,000 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.