A proposed ordinance that sought to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old failed on Thursday night, with the Stow City Council rejecting it by a 5-1 vote following its second reading.

The bill would not have affected the minimum age to purchase or use tobacco products, leaving it at 18-years-old. According to a report by Ohio.com, members of the council called the use of tobacco by minors an issue that should be addressed in the schools as well as by creating penalties for those individuals using tobacco as opposed to placing the burden solely on retailers. There was also objection based on the idea that such an age should be set either at the state or federal level rather than at the local level.

Stow is a suburb of Akron and home to approximately 35,000 residents.

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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, the G-League's Valley Suns, 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.