The Kansas City metropolitan area has gained another supporter of the Tobacco21 movement, as the Westwood, Kan. City Council unanimously approved an increase to the tobacco purchase age from 18 to 21-years-old during its meeting last Thursday.

The change also affects the age to purchase e-cigarettes, but not does not increase the minimum age to use tobacco or e-cigarettes, which remains at 18-years-old, according to a report from the Shawnee Mission Post. The city has not yet posted the date the increase goes into effect.

Both Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. have supported the increase, as have Westwood Hills, Leawood, Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe and Prairie Village, with Mission not approving the increase.

Westwood is located approximately six miles south of Kansas City, Kan. and is home to just over 1,500 residents.

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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.