A proposed ordinance that sought to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21-years-old failed on Thursday night, with the Stow City Council rejecting it by a 5-1 vote following its second reading.
The bill would not have affected the minimum age to purchase or use tobacco products, leaving it at 18-years-old. According to a report by Ohio.com, members of the council called the use of tobacco by minors an issue that should be addressed in the schools as well as by creating penalties for those individuals using tobacco as opposed to placing the burden solely on retailers. There was also objection based on the idea that such an age should be set either at the state or federal level rather than at the local level.
Stow is a suburb of Akron and home to approximately 35,000 residents.
