The central Illinois town of Normal has joined the Tobacco 21 push, enacting an ordinance at its meeting on Monday that will raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21-years-old as of Dec. 1.

While the town has not yet posted the ordinance on its website, retailers will face a first time fine of $50 for selling tobacco or tobacco alternative products to a person under 21, with the fine increasing to $500 for repeat violations. The ordinance was approved  unanimously according to several reports.

Normal is located approximately 140 mile southwest of Chicago and is home to just over 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.