Missouri legislator is looking to raise minimum age to buy tobacco products

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMOX) - If you're 18 and in Missouri, smoke 'em if you've got 'em.

There's a proposal in the state legislature to raise the age to buy tobacco products, that means cigarettes and vapes, from 18 to 21.

State Rep. Brad Christ (R-St. Louis County) says there's a federal FDA rule recommending 21 as the minimum age plus about 40 percent of Missouri counties have raised their ages to 21 as well.

"There are some gray areas around that, but I decided to follow the federal statute," said Christ to KMOX's Michael Calhoun. "I thought 21-years-old is a very standard age and people are trying to move tobacco age too and was comfortable with it."

Christ says he'd be open to an exception for members of the military, but nobody's proposed it, and his bill would also allow 16-year-olds to participate in the undercover efforts testing retailers.

The bill would also adjust a St. Louis County ordinance banning cigarette sales near schools, allowing stores grandfathered in to sell the business without losing the exception.

"They left out an important part of the grandfather clause," said Christ. "So when a business goes to sell their convenience store, grocery store, whoever controls that tobacco license, they can no longer sell that, so it devalues small businesses by about 35% to 45% depending on their revenue on tobacco."

Christ says it's a good measure for business, and good for health. He says 40 percent of Missouri counties already limit tobacco sales to 21 and up.