After a previous effort to raise the minimum age to purchasing tobacco to 21-years-old as part of a joint plan with Pima County sputtered, the Tucson City Council approved the second reading of its own ordinance by a 6-1 vote on Tuesday night.

The increase will apply to both traditional tobacco products as well as e-cigarettes and vaping devices when it goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. The city included a 90-day educational period into the ordinance that will delay when enforcement of the increase begins.

Arizona now has five cities that have joined the Tobacco 21 movement, as Tucson joins Goodyear, Flagstaff, Douglas and Cottonwood. A proposal to raise the minimum age statewide stalled in the legislature in May.

Tucson is home to just over 500,000 residents and is home to the University of Arizona.

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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.