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Peter Franchot's aides said he did not see the letter sent to Baltimore officials suggesting the city does not have the power to regulate tobacco, The Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday. City officials want to ban the sale of individual cheap cigars to make them less accessible to young people.

"I have been a strong supporter of the fight to reduce teen smoking and limit the access of cigarettes and other tobacco products to our youth", Franchot said in a statement after the June 30 letter was brought to his attention by the Sun. "I strongly support Baltimore city's effort."

The letter gave the legal opinion that under Maryland law tobacco regulation is in the hands of the state.

The sale of individual cigarettes is illegal. But cigars, some of them priced at as little as 50 cents, can be sold individually.

Bruce Bereano, a lobbyist for the Maryland Association of Tobacco and Candy Distributors, has promised a lawsuit if the city adopts the rule, which would be a national first.

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