On Tuesday, the Nevada Assembly gave its approval to AB 59, a bill seeking to raise the state’s minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old, which would bring it inline with the federal minimum age.
The bill passed by a vote of 34-8, and will now be sent to the Senate for its consideration, with a pair of deadlines looming on the horizon. It must be passed out of committee by May 14 and by the full chamber by May 21 in order to continue its journey to becoming law.
While the federal age to purchase tobacco products was increased to 21-years-old near the end of 2019, it has generally been up to the states to enforce that minimum, and with their own purchasing ages on the books, that has created some headaches for those tasked with enforcement. As such, many sates have passed their own laws to bring their minimum ages into alignment with the federal minimum age, and allow for enforcement to occur.
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, the G-League's Valley Suns, 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.