US: Tobacco 21 Hopes Cities are Ready to Act

Source from:  The Examiner 11/27/2015

Representatives of the Tobacco 21 | KC initiative have successfully appealed to the two Kansas Cities in a push to raise the minimum age for sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products to 21.

However, that doesn't mean the Tobacco 21 group expects a big set of dominoes - including Independence - is about to fall. Rather, Bridget McCandless said, it's assessing its next moves.

Last Thursday, city councils in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, approved that measure.
"We wanted to be successful at one, and we were, and now we feel emboldened," said McCandless, president/CEO of the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and one of the movement's leading voices. "We were so encouraged by their leadership. We wanted to be sure we set the stage with the first two communities, and we'll continue to do our work from there."

Ten days before Kansas City, Missouri, and the Unified Government vote, McCandless talked with the Independence City Council, encouraging the city to raise the legal age for buying tobacco. Since last Thursday, she has talked with the government relations committee of the Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce.
 
McCandless told the Independence council that area health and civic leaders believe a municipality-by-municipality approach would work better than trying to get a statewide measure pushed through.

To be clear, McCandless said, the Tobacco 21 movement isn't trying to hold cities' feet to the fire. The main goal is to make it more difficult for youngsters to start smoking in the first place, and Independence had invited her to make a presentation, she said.

"Independence would certainly be our next tier," she said. "What we're looking for is the next community that's ready to move forward on the issue of youth tobacco.

"I believe the best way to move forward is for cities to look into it themselves."

The Independence Advisory Board of Health has issued its recommendation for an ordinance that would restrict the sale of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, vapor products and paraphernalia to those age 21 and older. The council has directed City Manager John Pinch to research the matter and draft a possible ordinance.

Mayor Eileen Weir said Pinch and City Counselor Dayla Bishop Schwartz have been moving forward on that matter, especially with the Kansas City ordinance as a point of reference, but it's too early to say how soon an ordinance might come before the council.

"Our intention is to consider it," Weir said, "and make sure it's compatible with what's going on in the area and around the country." Enditem