Title
Amending Chapter 324 of the Legislative Code to raise the age of persons allowed to purchase tobacco and tobacco related devices and products from eighteen (18) to twenty-one (21).
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has a history of passing bold tobacco prevention policies including passing smoke-free bars and restaurants, banning candy cigarettes, setting a minimum price for cigars, placing a cap on the number of tobacco outlets, implementing a distance requirement between tobacco shops, and restricting all flavored tobacco products to adult-only tobacco shops and liquor stores; and
WHEREAS, raising the tobacco sales age to 21 in the City of Saint Paul will prevent future generations from the harms of tobacco; and
WHEREAS, youth tobacco use in Minnesota has increased for the first time in 17 years, largely due to e-cigarettes and cigars; and
WHEREAS, E-cigarettes are not proven to be better for quitting smoking than existing treatments, and the FDA has not approved them as quitting aids; and
WHEREAS, one in five youth currently use e-cigarettes in Minnesota; and
WHEREAS, E-cigarettes used to resemble conventional cigarettes but now devices such as JUUL and Sourin resemble zip drives and are easily hidden from parents, teachers, and school administrators; and
WHEREAS, vape devices contain high levels of nicotine, and no amount of nicotine is safe for youth, which can cause lasting damage to brain maturation including long-term effect on cognitive development and mental health; and
WHEREAS, 95 percent of addicted adult smokers started before age 21, and keeping tobacco out of high schools will reduce the number of youth under 18 who become addicted to tobacco; and
WHEREAS, raising the tobacco sales age to 21 will reduce teens’ ability to buy tobacco products themselves or access them through social sources; and
WHEREAS, 18-20 year-olds make up roughly 2-4% of tobacco sales but tobacco takes a human, economic and environmental toll on our communities ...
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