You will soon need to be at least 21-years-old to purchase tobacco and e-cigarettes in St. Louis, Mo., as today the city’s Board of Aldermen passed the second reading of the proposed age increase.

The increase quickly made its way through city government; after being introduced by Alderwoman Dionne Flowers, it cleared the board’s Health and Human Services committee in early November before the first reading was approved on Nov. 11.

Mayor Francis Slay has already said publicly that he supports the increase and could sign it as early as today. Because the proposal included an emergency clause, it means that the increase will go into effect immediately upon receiving the mayor’s signature, having been deemed to be “an ordinance for the preservation of public peace, health and safety.”

St. Louis County approved a similar increase in September, and the city’s approval of the increase no unifies the two entities in the minimum purchasing age.

St. Louis has a population of approximately 315,685 residents, making it the second largest city in the state behind Kansas City and the 60th most populous city in the United States. Kansas City, Mo. passed an increase in the tobacco purchasing age to 21 in Nov. 2015. According to a press release issued by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, when St. Louis’ increase goes into effect, 35% of Missouri’s population will live in areas where the minimum age to purchase tobacco is 21.

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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.