Minnesota has its second city to approve an increase in the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, as this week the St. Louis Park City Council approved the second reading by a 5-0 vote.

The increase goes into effect on Oct. 1, with fines for retailers selling tobacco to an underage person increasing as well. A first offense has a fine of $500, while a second violation within a 36-month period would come with a $1,000 fine and one-day suspension of the retailer’s tobacco sales permit. A third offense costs $2,000 and a three-day suspension.

St. Louis Park is located immediately to the west of Minneapolis and is home to approximately 47,500 residents.

Avatar photo

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.