The Council of the District of Columbia gave its final approval to a proposal that will raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21-years-old today, voting 10-3 in favor of the increase.

A person under 21 who attempts to purchase tobacco products can be subject to a fine of $25 after an amendment to the bill was passed that lowered the fine from $50.

The bill must still be signed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, after which it will go into effect in 30 days.

Washington, D.C. will join a number of other major American cities in passing similar increases, including New York City, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland and both Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. California and Hawaii have also passed statewide increases.

The council also approved a ban on the use of all tobacco products at sports facilities in the city, as well as made the use of e-cigarettes illegal in all places where traditional tobacco use is currently prohibited.

Washington, D.C. is home to nearly 660,000 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.