CLEVELAND – The Cleveland City Council approved a measure that increases the tobacco buying age within city limits to 21, Cleveland.com reports. The ordinance includes electronic cigarettes as part of the restriction. The council also okayed a resolution to only hire non-smokers by 2017, following the lead of Cleveland Clinic. Not voted on yet was a proposal to only allow sales of flavored tobacco products at retail tobacco stores.

The council added an amendment to the bill that applies the tobacco buying age of 21 only to merchants selling tobacco—not to consumers. The tobacco ordinances came under fire from convenience store owners, who told the council’s Health and Human Services Committee that the proposals appear to favor large tobacco retail shops. 

Councilman Joe Cimperman reiterated that the purpose of the higher tobacco buying age was to help teenagers not become addicted to smoking. The council may reconsider the issue before the law takes effect, which will be 120 days after Mayor Frank Jackson signs it.

Meanwhile, 10 U.S. senators have introduced legislation on the national level (and Pennsylvania is considering statewide legislation) to raise the tobacco buying age to 21. Hawaii’s law, which goes into effect January 1, is the first statewide measure to set the minimum age for tobacco purchases at 21. New York City also forbids the selling of tobacco products to those under 21. Four states have set the minimum age for tobacco purchases at 19: Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey and Utah.