The Boston suburb of Peabody, Mass. will be increasing the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and electronic cigarettes before the end of the year, as the city’s board of health unanimously approved the increase during its meeting on Thursday night, which drew about ten people with split opinions on the matter, according to the Salem Herald.

With the change, Peabody becomes the latest municipality in the state to increase the purchase age from the current state minimum of 18, a list that includes more than 70 cities and towns.

The change will go into affect in 120 days if there are no legal challenges.

Peabody is home to approximately 52,000 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.