The First Ward Councilwoman, Ginny Chadwick called for increase of the minimum age to buy tobacco products in the city to 21. In turn, the council unanimously passed a motion just after midnight on Tuesday at its regular meeting to send legislative intent to the city’s Board of Health & Substance Abuse Advisory Commission for review before a bill is presented to the council for a vote.
The city feels this is necessary since there are high school students who are 18 years old that can distribute tobacco products to your students.
Columbia City is home to 115,000 residents over 63.5 square miles and was settles in 1806.
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Update 12/16: On December 15th, 2014 the Columbia City Council voted 6-1 to limit sales of tobacco to people over the age of 21. The one person who voted against the ban was Fifth Ward Councilwoman Laura Nauser who said, “The libertarian in me is going to let liberty and freedom to make choices to consume legal products as an adult override many of the consultants’ stories and situations that have come before us today.” She went on to add, “If we’re going to go down this road, then we should look at maybe the sales of sugary beverages. There’s many studies now that are coming out that … they’re looking at (sugar) as an addictive substance. Should we restrict the sales of trans fat because they’re bad for us and our cholesterol? How about salt?”
At least one person gets .
The City Council did not say when the law would go into effect.
