TEEN COUNCIL DROPS DISPUTED CLAUSE FROM ORDINANCE

The Cape Girardeau City Council will get a tobacco licensing ordinance minus the clause that would make it illegal for minors to possess tobacco products.

The Youth Advisory Council voted Friday to forward the ordinance to the City Council after debate over whether to keep the possession clause.

A group of about five teens attended the meeting to air their opposition to the ordinance. They presented a petition with about 350 signatures opposing the ordinance.

Christy Hey, a member of the advisory council, called for pulling the possession clause. She said teen smoking is "just another parental rebellion thing," and said it would be "a waste of time" for officers to have to enforce the clause.

Ben Edwards, also a member of the advisory council, said officers would use their own discretion as to when to enforce the ordinance.

He also said he felt the possession clause would help deter younger children from getting started smoking.

But opponents of the possession clause said a law won't stop teen-agers from buying tobacco or using it.

"I think you can't make a law against a moral issue," said Erin Christopher, one of protesters. "If you want to change how many people smoke, you need to change people's minds and what they believe."

The advisory council initially voted on an amendment that would allow teens to smoke in their parents' homes or under their parents' direct supervision. That failed on a 3-3 vote.

The motion to delete the possession clause was approved 4-2 with Edwards one of the dissenting votes.

Matt Fisher pointed out that teens know smoking is harmful, and will make their own decisions.

The ordinance also sets up a graduated series of penalties, including fines and license suspensions, for businesses caught selling tobacco to minors.

Targeting the merchants without targeting the teens buying the tobacco is fighting half the battle, Edwards said.

But the amended ordinance passed on a 6-0 vote as advisory council members acknowledged that the City Council probably would not approve it with the possession clause.

"I really want this ordinance to come through, and it sounds like we might have to strike the possession clause for that to happen," said Jean Meyer.

"I guess it's's important to remember that doing some good is better than doing no good," Fisher said.

The amended ordinance will go to the City Council for discussion at the Feb. 17 or March 2 meeting, said city attorney Eric Cunningham.