Cape council eyes ban on tobacco sales to people younger than 21

Cape Girardeau City Council members may prohibit anyone younger than 21 from buying tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes.

Council members Monday instructed city staff to research a possible city ordinance to impose such a restriction to combat nicotine addiction.

Several council members voiced support for the idea after hearing a presentation from representatives of the Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation, which has pushed for similar laws in cities, counties and states nationwide through the Tobacco 21 initiative.

Eli Bohnert, a Southeast Missouri State University student and intern with the Tobacco 21 effort, and Ginny Chadwick, Western regional director of the campaign, urged the council to consider joining the more than 500 cities and counties in 30 states that have passed such laws.

Besides those entities, 18 states have raised the tobacco age to 21. Twelve of those states passed Tobacco 21 legislation this year alone, according to Bohnert.

Bohnert said 22 communities in Missouri have passed such laws.

“Everyone strongly agrees this is the best way to protect our kids,” he told the council.

Chadwick said, “It is up to us as adults to take action.”

In terms of enforcement, Chadwick said sending in “underage decoys” to try to buy tobacco products is the best way to detect businesses violating city restrictions. City license suspensions and revocations will get the attention of those businesses selling tobacco products, she said.

The initiative favors imposing penalties on the sellers not the consumers.

Bohnert said 95% of smokers start before age 21.

A person is twice as likely to become a lifelong smoker if he or she starts smoking by age 18, he said at the council’s study session.

In Missouri, state law allows anyone age 18 or older to buy tobacco products. Local communities, however, can impose stricter laws.

Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes increasingly are popular with teenagers, according to Bohnert.

More than 3 million students nationwide used e-cigarettes in 2018, according to Bohnert.

“The number keeps going up,’ he said.

There are more than 15,000 flavors on the market today that entice young people to become addicted to nicotine, according to Bohnert.

Raising the purchase age for tobacco products to 21 would help combat the addiction problem, he said.

People have to be 21 or older to purchase alcohol or even medical marijuana, Bohnert said. Raising the age for tobacco purchases is a “common sense” way to “protect our kids,” he said.

Bohnert and Chadwick showed council members vaping devices that look like thumb drives and even watches.

After getting a close look at the e-cigarette watch, Ward 1 Councilman Daniel Presson called it “very alarming.”

Presson said the council should consider barring people younger than 21 from buying tobacco products.

Ward 3 Councilman Nate Thomas said he is “all for the rights of small businesses” but he said he opposes “profiteering on the backs of our youth.”

Mayor Bob Fox voiced support for the Tobacco 21 initiative.

“I too like the idea of not exposing our kids to tobacco,” he said.

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