COLUMBUS – Starting in about 10 months, you will have to be 21 years old to buy any tobacco products in the city of Columbus.
City Council Monday night approved an ordinance banning the sale of tobacco products and paraphernalia to anyone under 21, according to WBNS 10-TV.
That includes vapor, paper, hookah, cigarettes and cigars.
Currently, anyone 18 and up can buy tobacco in Columbus but, starting next September, tobacco shops will have to buy a $150 retail license each year and will be banned from selling the products to anyone under 21.
Health advocates say making it harder for teenagers to buy cigarettes will cut down on smoking overall, since many smokers started in their teen years.
The number of teens using electronic cigarettes is rapidly increasing.
New Albany, Grandview, Upper Arlington, and Bexley have already raised the legal limit.