After several presentations to Jefferson City committees, the Tobacco 21 proposal appears to have hit a dead end.
At the Public Safety Committee meeting Thursday, members heard from representatives of the Council for Drug Free Youth, who presented a smoke-free youth bill aimed at increasing the age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 within Jefferson City limits. The group made the same presentation in late June to the committee and in early June to the Council Committee on Administration.
Several other Missouri cities have passed similar laws, including Kansas City, Independence, Grandview, Gladstone and Columbia, which passed a
similar law in 2014. California and Hawaii are the only two states to make the change at the state level.
Council for Drug Free Youth representatives have said the proposed change would help decrease smoking in those ages 15-17 by 25 percent and cited Needham, Massachusetts, which was the first city to adopt the change, as having seen a nearly 50 percent reduction in smoking in that age group.
However, after some discussion from the committee, no one was willing to even make a motion to send the issue to the full Jefferson City Council, meaning the proposal dies in committee.
Second Ward Councilwoman Laura Ward said she had concerns with the proposal, as it could simply put more Jefferson City teens on the highway to head to places where they can purchase tobacco. She also cited a poll in Columbia which asked 47 teen smokers whether the change had any effect on them, noting 46 out of 47 said they simply go to where they can legally purchase tobacco.
Joy Sweeney, executive director of Council for Drug Free Youth, said the initiative isn't going to stop every teen who currently smokes, but it can have an impact on stopping others from even starting to use tobacco.
Fifth Ward Councilman Mark Schreiber said he has faced some confusion in the community as people came under the impression the proposal would seek to punish teen smokers. In reality, the proposal sought to prevent the sale of tobacco to those under 21, he said, and would do nothing to punish those who do smoke.
After the committee declined to forward the proposal, Sweeney said she was unsure of what the group's next step would be.