The Tobacco 21 movement has officially come to the Lone Star State, as San Antonio has become the first city in Texas to pass an increase in the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and alternative nicotine products such as e-cigarettes.

The vote came at Thursday’s city council meeting, with the ordinance approved by a 9-2 vote. The change will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2018.

It does not make possession of tobacco products by persons 18 and 20-years-old a crime, instead simply raising the age to purchase tobacco. Retailers that sell to a person under 21 will face a misdemeanor and fine of up to $500.

San Antonio has a population of nearly 1.5 million residents, making it the second most populous city in the state and the seventh most in the country.

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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.