The city of Woburn has become the latest in Massachusetts to increase the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21-yeas-old, as the city’s board of health voted unanimously in favor of the matter at its Jan. 25 meeting.

The city formally announced the increase on Tuesday, yet it has not posted when the increase will go into effect. An email to the board of health seeking this information has not yet been returned.

Additionally, the board enacted a cap on the number of tobacco permits issued by the city at the current number of 44, which means that no new tobacco retailers will be allowed to set up shop.

Massachusetts now has 166 cities, towns and counties, including Boston, to pass Tobacco 21 legislation, yet despite the support at the local level, statewide proposals have failed to advance in the legislature.

Woburn is home to approximately 39,500 residents and is located 11 miles northwest of Boston.

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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.