While a number of states have bills seeking to raise the tobacco purchase age, North Dakota has become the first of this current crop to defeat the proposal.

On Friday, the state’s House of Representatives defeated H.B. 1312 68-22 on the floor.

The change would have also applied to e-cigarettes and other alternative nicotine delivery devices. It had garnered the support of six members of the state House of Representatives and two members of the state Senate.

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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.