Salida, Colo. Raises Tobacco Purchasing Age, Requires Retail Licenses, Defeats Flavored Tobacco Ban

At its meeting on Tuesday, the Salida City Council had a three-pronged anti-tobacco ordinance on its agenda that sought an increase of the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old to align with the new federal age, a requirement that all tobacco retailers obtain a license from the city, and a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products. When the discussion was over, the first two of those passed, while the third fell short of getting the required number of votes.

The flavored tobacco ban was removed from the ordinance after opponents made a compelling case that it would harm local businesses and take away choice from adults, according to a report by TheMountainMail.com.

In addition to the age increase to purchase tobacco products, it also raises the minimum age to possess or use tobacco products to 21-years-old.

The ordinance did not include a date that the changes would go into effect, but it would appear to be after notice of its passage was published in the local newspaper.

Salida is home to just under 6,000 residents.

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.