The Colorado legislature is expected to join its contemporaries in Maryland, Utah and Vermont, debating whether to raise the minimum age to purchase and consume tobacco products from 18 to 21.
Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen, and Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, will sponsor the House version, while Sen. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, and Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, will introduce it in the Colorado Senate.
Part of the argument for the increase is that alcohol, gambling and the recently-approved recreational marijuana are all restricted to those 21 and over in the state.