On Monday night, the Springfield City Council gave its approval to the second reading of an ordinance that will raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, e-cigarettes, vaping products and other nicotine delivery devices in the city from 18 to 21-years-old.

The new law also prohibits the distribution of any free samples of tobacco products or tobacco alternatives. It also requires that any tobacco retailers who wish to continue selling such products obtain a license from the city within 60 days of the bill going into effect.

Retailers who sell to persons under 21 will face fines starting at $250, while employees could also be fined a minimum $50. Retailers who sell tobacco without a permit can be fined between $500 and $1,000.

As written going into Monday’s meeting, the ordinance and its changes are scheduled to go into effect following passage by the council.

Springfield is home to just over 167,000 residents, making it the third most populous city in Missouri.

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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.