Vermont’s governor, Phil Scott, has signed a bill that will raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old as of Sept. 1, 2019.

The bill, S. 86, also raises the minimum age to possess them, which carries a fine of $25. For retailers, selling tobacco to an underage person carries a fine of $100 for a first offense and $500 for each subsequent violation. The bill does not contain any exemptions to the age increase, such as for active members of the military, an exemption that has been found in legislation introduced in other states.

Vermont joins more than a dozen other states in raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes to 21-years-old.

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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.