Mission, Kan. Spurns Tobacco Age Increase Proposal

The Mission City Council quickly dismissed the idea of raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 at its meeting this week, with Councilor Pat Quinn the most vocal in opposition during a recent committee meeting.

Quinn cited the fact that since 18-year-olds can join the military and defend the country, they should be able to purchase a legal product such as tobacco when returning from service. He was joined in defeating the idea by Councilor Suzie Gibbs, who questioned whether or not an age increase would indeed reduce youth smoking, according to the Prairie Village Post.

According to the report, the proposal would have made sales of tobacco products to persons under 21-years-old illegal, but would not have criminalized possession or usage. The city of just under 10,000 residents currently has six tobacco retailers.

Mission is located about eight miles southwest of Kansas City, Kan., which recently passed an increase of the tobacco purchasing age from 18 to 21, along with Wyandotte County, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo.

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 Major League Baseball, 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.