The push in New Jersey to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products took a significant step forward on Thursday as the Assembly Appropriations Committee approved a bill seeking the increase, sending it to the floor for a full vote.

Assembly Bill 2320 was approved by a 7-2 vote with two members not voting, the first action the bill has received since Feb. 2016 when it was approved by the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee by a 10-3 vote.

The bill would make it illegal for someone under 21 to purchase tobacco products, but it wouldn’t make possession or use of tobacco products by a person under 21 a crime. Retailers would face fines between $250 and $1,000 should they sell to a minor.

The state Senate has already approved the bill, voting on it May 2016 by a 23-14 vote.

Should it pass the Assembly, it will once again return to the desk of Gov. Chris Christie, who pocket vetoed a similar proposal in Jan. 2015.

Only two states — Hawaii and California — have increased the tobacco purchase age to 21-years-old.

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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.