Jefferson City group to propose raising legal age to buy tobacco to 21
A Jefferson City group is trying to raise the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21.
Monday, a group of local high schoolers will present its proposal to the city council which would also raise the age for buying E-cigarettes, vapor products and other drug paraphernalia.
ABC 17 News reported Columbia became the first city in the state to raise the legal age to buy tobacco products to 21 in December 2014.
Since then, Missouri cities Kansas City, Independence and most recently Gladstone have followed suit.
More than 95 percent of long-term smokers started before the age of 21.
“In our community, the age of initiation for tobacco is 13.7, approximately 13 years old,” Council for Drug Free Youth Executive Director Joy Sweeney said.
More than 100 cities in seven states and the entire state of Hawaii have passed similar initiatives, according to the national organization Tobacco 21.
“It’s a new concept for Jefferson City, but it’s a concept that’s been working in other cities and other communities,” Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin said. “Anytime that anything comes forward from the youth of our community, I think it’s very important that we listen.”
Sweeney said not only would the move reduce youth smoking in the Jefferson City area, it would reduce overall smoking by 12 percent.
“It would definitely improve the health and well-being of our community,” Sweeney said. “It would reduce the adult smoking rate too because as these children grow up, as these students, young people grow up, they’re not smoking, they’re not addicted to tobacco.”
ABC 17 News reached out to Jefferson City council members Friday to see if they thought it would be a good move for the city.
First Ward Councilman Jim Branch said as an ex-smoker, he was in favor of anything that would deter the use of it.
Fourth Ward Councilman Glen Costales told ABC 17 News he was against the measure, saying if someone is old enough to be drafted, they should be old enough to smoke a cigarette.
