Richfield, Minn. Raises Tobacco Purchase Age to 21

Minnesota now has its 10th city to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes to 21-years-old, as on Tuesday night the Richfield City Council unanimously approved what has come to be known as a Tobacco 21 ordinance.

The ordinance also gets rid of what are referred to as PUP laws, or purchase, use and possession, with the city saying they ineffective in deterring tobacco use. That means that a person under 21 years old will not be cited for purchasing, using or possessing tobacco; rather, in the case of purchasing, the burden falls on the retailer. There is a provision for using a false identification to obtain tobacco products, however.

During the debate over the proposal, it was proposed that e-cigarettes be excluded from the age increase on the grounds that they were cessation devices, though the idea was rejected by a 3-2 vote.

The increase goes into effect immediately.

Richfield joins Minneapolis, Edina, North Mankato, St. Louis Park, Bloomington, Plymouth, Falcon Heights, Shoreview, and St. Peter in having raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21. It is home to approximately 36,000 residents and located 10 miles south of Minneapolis.

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 Major League Baseball, 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.