In its continuing effort to reduce graffiti, the Los Angeles City Council is considering expanding restrictions on the sale of aerosol spraypaint cans and other materials to people under 21.

At the request of Councilmen Dennis Zine, Greig Smith and Eric Garcetti, the public safety committee today asked city lawyers to work on a possible ordinance that would outlaw sales to anyone under 21, after seeking recommendations from the Los Angeles Police Department and the city’s legislative analysts.

“We need to make it as tough as possible if we’re going to get serious on the eradication of graffiti in the city of Los Angeles. Otherwise it’s cosmetic, it does no good and people continually look at us to say ‘What are you doing to fix this problem that is terrorizing neighborhoods?’ ” Zine said Monday during the public safety committee meeting.

Lawyers said there is already a state law prohibiting the sale of spraypaint cans and etching cream to those under 18. Zine said he hoped the council would raise that age limit to 21, and consider other options such as requiring spraypaint purchasers to show identification or making it a crime for a minor to carry spray paint. The city already requires retailers to keep the paint cans in a locked container.

“As we can see by driving down any freeway," Zine said, "the current laws aren’t working. They are absolutely being ignored and the consequences aren’t severe enough to have an impact.”