Worthington, Ohio Approves Tobacco Purchasing Age Increase

On Monday night, the Worthington City Council made the central Ohio city the latest to join the Tobacco 21 movement, unanimously approving a law that will make 21 the new minimum age to purchase tobacco, tobacco alternative products and tobacco related paraphernalia.

The increase will go into effect on July 1, but a provision in the ordinance states that fines will not be imposed on retailers who sell to persons under 21-year-old until Oct. 1. Once that date passes, retailers will face a fine of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for any subsequent offenses within two years of the initial violation.

In addition to the age increase, the city is now requiring tobacco retailers to obtain a new license in order to continue selling tobacco products. The license fee is $150, and it must be renewed annually.

Worthington is located 13 miles north of Columbus and 135 miles southwest of Cleveland, and is home to approximately 14,000 residents.

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.