An additional layer of paperwork could be coming for Internet, catalog and phone orders placed with tobacco retailers in New York, as a piece of legislation has been introduced into the state assembly that would require retailers to get a written form from the customer that verifies their age.

Assembly Bill 117 was introduced by Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, D-89, and states that “Before a company may ship tobacco products to an individual attempting to purchase such products, over the internet or otherwise, such company shall send a form to the individual requesting an authorized signature that such individual is eighteen years of age or older. Upon receipt of such form such company may then ship the tobacco products.”

The bill has already passed the Assembly Committee on Health by a 24-0 vote, and now heads to the Committee on Codes.

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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.