The Southington Town Council has approved an ordinance that will raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and tobacco alternatives to 21-years-old, while also implementing a new tobacco retailer license that will be required to be renewed on an annual basis.

The proposal passed by an 8-1 vote on Monday, and while the increase must go into effect with 180 days, a report from WFSB.com indicates that the council is aiming to have it in place with just 20 days.

Southington joins a small but growing list of cities and towns within Connecticut to enact such increases, a list that includes Hartford, Bridgeport and South Windsor, with several others currently discussing their own increases or having announced plans to draft such ordinances.

The city is home to just under 44,000 residents and is located 20 miles southwest of Hartford.

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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 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.