Richfield joined a growing list of Minnesota cities that have established a minimum price for flavored cigars.
The Richfield City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 10, 2015, to set a minimum price of $2.60 per stick for non-premium cigars and set a minimum of $10.40 for packs of four or more.
“I’m very pleased to see this moving forward,” Mayor Debbie Goettel said during the council meeting. “It’s in the best interest of Richfield’s youth and health.”
The new ordinance brings Richfield’s tobacco licensing ordinance up to state minimums and puts into place pioneering policies that will protect youth from the harms of tobacco. This policy adds Richfield to a growing list of cities that have set minimum prices for the sale of non-premium cigars including: Brooklyn Center, Saint Paul, Bloomington, Maplewood and Minneapolis.
Councilmember Michael Howard said. “I think this is the ordinance that really sort of gets at access for kids.”
Additionally, the updated ordinance prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes in city-owned parks and other recreational facilities; prohibits the sale of any electronic cigarette liquid that is not in child-resistant packaging and prohibits indoor smoking and sampling of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, except in establishments that are already licensed by the City.
“This new ordinance will help protect Richfield youth from becoming lifelong tobacco users,” said Kari Oldfield, Legal and Community Outreach Coordinator for ANSR. “We are proud of the Richfield Advisory Board of Health and City Council for taking on this important issue and protecting the health of the residents and visitors of the city.”
This new ordinance goes into effect on Dec. 19, 2015.