Freedom isn�t free or easy. It�s messy and difficult. If freedom means anything, it means the freedom of adults to make choices, especially controversial choices like tobacco, guns, alcohol and gambling. We don�t need a Bill of Rights or personal freedoms to protect the rights of the majority. We need them to protect the rights of the minority.

Like it or not, tobacco products and e-cigarettes are lawful adult products that are taxed and regulated by the state and federal governments. The Columbia City Council is looking to unilaterally raise the age to sell tobacco and e-cigs from 18-year-old adults to 21-year-old adults.

When dealing with extremists, common sense is anything but common. The following strong opposition arguments have thus far fallen on deaf ears:

18-year-olds are adults. They can vote, serve in the military, kill and die for our country, enter into and be bound by contracts, get married, purchase a gun, refuse medical treatment, play the lottery, be tried as an adult in criminal actions and, ironically, be elected to the Columbia City Council. Surely, these adults can decide if they want to use tobacco and e-cig products. It will conflict with state and federal laws that set the age at 18. It will be counterproductive because e-cigs are often used to wean tobacco users off of tobacco products with the ultimate goal of quitting all tobacco use. It will be ineffective because sales of tobacco and e-cigs will not decrease but will simply shift to outside the city limits. Because sales will shift to outside the city limits, Columbia retailers, whose statewide business model is based on the age of 18 for tobacco and e-cigs, will lose revenue, reduce investment and lay off employees, all of whom are paid more than minimum wage. Whether the loss is 5 percent or 20 percent, can you imagine the outcry if city leaders simply took 5 percent or 20 percent of your house, business or bank account? Because sales will shift to outside the city limits, Columbia will lose substantial local sales tax revenue from lost sales of tobacco and e-cigs plus all the other products adult consumers typically purchase at the same time such as food, water, soda, beer and alcohol. Any ordinance must apply equally to supply (businesses) and demand (adult consumers). However, Columbia is only looking at prohibiting the sale of tobacco and e-cigs to 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds but still allowing 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds to purchase, possess and consume tobacco and e-cigs. This ridiculous and unfair scenario doesn�t make any more sense than prohibiting retailers from selling alcohol to adults younger than 21 but allowing adults 18 to 20 to purchase, possess and consume alcohol. Businesses and adult consumers deserve a statewide, uniform and consistent policy on important statewide issues. The solution is to ask the legislature in Jefferson City to look at this issue and not address it in a piecemeal and inconsistent fashion by local governments.

There is a strong undercurrent of arrogance, elitism and hypocrisy in Columbia�s vocal minority. These extremists, whose ultimate goal is prohibition, hide behind the political fa�ade of �let�s protect the kids� and start by attacking unpopular adult issues like tobacco. If we, the people, allow this to happen, do not be surprised when the nanny state is emboldened and comes after something you do care about, like reproductive rights, guns, alcohol or cheeseburgers.

Government should only do for us what we can�t do for ourselves. Please contact the ordinance sponsor, First Ward Councilwoman Ginny Chadwick, and the rest of the Columbia City Council and urge them to support freedom and stay out of the personal choices of their adult constituents 18 and older.