The movement to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in the Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. area continues to gain steam, as on Monday the city council of Bonner Springs, Kan. unanimously approved an increase in the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21-years-old.

The increase will go into effect immediately upon publication of the ordinance’s approval in the city’s newspaper.

While Bonner Springs becomes the eighth city in Kansas to approve an age increase for the purchase of tobacco products, it almost certainly won’t be the last, as Grandview, Leawood, Lenexa and Overland Park have all announced plans to take up similar proposals in the near future.

Bonner Springs is located approximately 20 miles west of the Kansas City metropolitan area and is home to roughly 7,500 residents.

Avatar photo

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.