Guthrie City Council Votes In Favor Of New Tobacco Ordinance

The Guthrie City Council amended an ordinance which would raise the age limit to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.

City leaders said the ordinance was passed to match the state statue which Gov. Kevin Stitt signed earlier this year.

In May, Stitt signed Senate Bill 1423 into law which doesn't allow any tobacco products to be sold to anyone under the age of 21. This includes cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes.

“This was just to bring our city ordinance in compliance with the state statue,” said Guthrie Mayor Steve Gentling.

The council voted 5 to 2 in favor of the ordinance. It goes into effect immediately, but the only significant changes we'll see are those who violate the tobacco law can now be ticketed by police.

“That it makes it valid when it goes to municipal court,” said Gentling. “We'd had a couple technicalities there because of the inconsistency between the statute and the city ordinance.”

Gentling said he was in favor of this decision and he thinks it's important to protect the health of our youth.

“We've come a long way in reducing deaths due to tobacco,” said Gentling. “Smoking and second-hand smoke and anything we can do to reduce, especially in our youth the use of tobacco products I think that's a step forward.”

A number of establishments News 9 reached out to who sell tobacco products said they were already following the state's ordinance.