DENVER – Utah and Colorado lawmakers both voted last week to raise the legal smoking age to 21, the Associated Press reports.

"By raising the age limit, it puts them in a situation where they're not going to pick it up until a much later age," said Marla Brannum, who testified in favor of the age change in Utah.

Testimony in Colorado was similar - that pushing the tobacco age could make it harder for teens to access tobacco, and possibly reduce usage rates among adults.

"What I'm hoping to do is make it harder for kids to obtain cigarettes," said Rep. Cheri Gerou, who sponsored the measure.

While both proposals face several more votes before becoming law, they are the furthest than any states have come to removing cigarette access to teens.

Altria said in a statement last week that they support 18 as the minimum age to purchase tobacco, which Congress approved in 2009.

"While we recognize that these are difficult issues, we believe Congress has established a thoughtful process for understanding the issue better, and we intend to engage in that process, with FDA, as it takes its course," the statement said.

The Washington-based Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids advocates the higher smoking age and argues that it could reduce tobacco deaths in the future.

"We see this as sort of an added step to reducing smoking rates," in addition to higher tobacco taxes and other curbs, said Campaign vice president Peter Fisher.

Utah, Alabama, Alaska and New Jersey already require tobacco purchasers to be 19. A bill in Hawaii raising its legal smoking age to 21 is pending in state legislatures, as are similar measures in Massachusetts and New Jersey.

New York City and Hawaii Country, Hawaii, last year raised their legal tobacco age to 21.