Another city in Missouri has signed on to the movement to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21, as the Liberty City Council approved an ordinance on Monday night to increase the purchasing age to 21-years-old.

The council voted 5-3 in favor of the ordinance, which goes into effect immediately according to the version that the city posted on its website. The increase also applies to the sale of vapor and alternative nicotine delivery products, and restricts the sale of tobacco paraphernalia to retail tobacco stores.

Councilman Paul Jeness was one of the most outspoken opponents of the increase, calling it another example of government overreach, saying that if a person is old enough to vote for the president or serve in the military, they should be allowed to buy tobacco, even as he derided the use of cigarettes. “Who in the world are we to limit the sales of a legal product to people can serve this country and exercise their right to vote?” he asked before votes were cast. He added that he thought this was government sticking its nose in people’s business and telling them how to live their lives. He was supported in opposition of the increase by council members Jeff Watt and Rae Moore.

Retailers violating the new law will be subject to a minimum fine of $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense and $500 for third and subsequent offenses.

More than a dozen cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area have passed similar increases, including and GladstoneIndependence, Bonner Springs, Leavenworth, Leawood, Olathe, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Westwood HillsWestwood and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo.

The council also voted to modify its existing smoking ban for public places to include e-cigarettes and similar devices,

Liberty is home to approximately 30,000 residents and is located 15 miles northeast of Kansas City.

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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.