A proposal to raise the minimum purchasing age for tobacco products from 19 to 21-years-old is set to get a Dec. 5 vote by the Onondaga County Legislature on Dec. 5 after passing its health committee hearing on Monday.

Currently, the law requires individuals to be at least 19-years-old to purchase tobacco products, though an exemption allows for members of the military to purchase tobacco if they are at least 18-years-old. That exemption would be removed should the bill pass the full legislature.

The increase would also apply to electronic cigarettes, pipes, rolling papers, and related products. As currently written, it would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2018, should it pass.

Onondaga County is located in the northern part of the state, with Syracuse as its county seat. It is home to approximately 470,000 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.