New York City continues to lead the anti-tobacco charge, as they will soon be considering a measure that would raise the minimum age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21.

On Monday, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Council members proposed legislation that they hope will further restrict access to tobacco by increasing the minimum age for purchase to that of alcohol. Neighboring Nassau and Suffolk counties have already raised their minimum age for buying tobacco products to 19.

The proposed legislation piles on anti-tobacco legislation that the city has created in recent years, including high tobacco taxes, laws to create smoke-free workplaces and public areas and an anti-tobacco advertising campaign that blankets the city.

Quinn is also running to replace current New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has been ardent in his efforts to improve the health of New Yorkers through legislation regarding tobacco as well as food content and serving sizes.

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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.