A Tempe City Council committee is moving ahead with a proposed ordinance that aims at decreasing tobacco and e-cigarette use among the young.

Its updated proposal, which will be the subject of two public meetings next week, would establish a tobacco sales license, enact fees to ensure compliance and raise the minimum age of tobacco purchases to 21.

A virtual meeting of the Tempe City Council's Human Services and Community Safety Committee will take place noon Monday, March 20, followed later that day with a session at 6 p.m. at the Tempe Public Library, 3500 S. Rural Road.

In addition, a survey at tempe.gov/forum will be open March 20 until April 3.

The proposal would establish a citywide tobacco license registry and create fees to ensure compliance, according to a city release. Repeat offenders could lose their license.

Arizona is one of 10 states that does not have a statewide registry, meaning that retailers who sell tobacco products can continue to do so after repeated violations for selling to minors, Tempe officials said.

Tempe would join cities such as Flagstaff and Tucson, which have passed retail tobacco licensing ordinances and raised the minimum age to 21 in alignment with federal legislation that became law in 2019.

To register for the virtual meeting:  https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApfumtrD0rHNaEsQ9-sTpQ0R65EQZNA0Rj