A proposal to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, nicotine delivery devices and vapor products to 21-years-old was approved Monday night in Independence, Mo., and adds on to a similar increase recently passed by Kansas City. The Independence City Council voted 6-1 in favor of the increase, which goes into effect on March 1, 2016. It does not make possession or use of tobacco products by those under 21-years-old illegal, but they will no longer be able to purchase them from tobacco retailers, who if found guilty of violating the new law could be required to attend tobacco education classes or face fines starting at $100 if they do not attend or have a repeat violation. The fines escalate to $500 for multiple repeat offenses. In addition to Kansas City and Independence, Columbia, Mo. raised the age to purchase tobacco products to 21 in December 2014. Independence is the fourth-largest city in the state of Missouri with a population of just over 117,000 residents. It is located about 10 miles east of Kansas City.
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