Just shy of two months since Columbia City Councilwoman Ginny Chadwick proposed that the city raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21, the city’s board of health has given its stamp of approval to the idea.

At its meeting on Thursday night, the Columbia/Boone County Board of Health voted in favor of the idea, as well as to apply the age minimum to the purchase of electronic cigarettes, as well as recommending that their use be banned indoors and wherever traditionally smoked tobacco products are prohibited.

The recommendation comes a day after the Columbia Substance Abuse Advisory Commission voted 6-1 in favor of increasing the age. Both groups had to sign off on the idea before the city council could vote on it.

City attorney Nancy Thompson will now draft a proposal for the council’s consideration. Chadwick told the Missourian that she hopes the council will vote on the matter in January, while the Columbia Tribune reports that it could come up as early as next month.

Columbia is home to approximately 115,000 people and is located almost directly between Kansas City and St. Louis, about 125 miles from both cities.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.