Officials in Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, have approved ordinances raising the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products and alternative nicotine items to 21.
Kansas City, Missouri, Council members on Thursday approved the measure on an 11-1 vote. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, approved a similar measure on a 6-1 vote Thursday night.
Supporters say raising the legal age to 21 will make it harder for younger smokers -- including 18-year-olds who are still in high school -- to obtain tobacco products and provide them to younger friends and relatives.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is leading the effort to have the ordinance passed in all cities in the metropolitan area.
