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  • Environmental Impact | ANSRMN.ORG

    ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF COMMERCIAL TOBACCO Commercial tobacco products like cigarettes and e-cigarettes have a substantial impact on our environment. These products contribute to the litter problem, with cigarettes being the most littered product in the US and e-cigarettes contributing to the single-use plastic problem and electronic waste. Throughout their life cycle, commercial tobacco products contribute to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, litter, single-use plastic waste and electronic waste, threatening our planet and our people. Environmental Impact of Commercial Tobacco Toolkit Environmental Impact of Commercial Tobacco Factsheet Paragraph Download the PDF Hazardous Waste Disposal Factsheet Paragraph Download the Fact Sheet Youth E-Cigarette Environmental Graphic Paragraph Download the Graphic Additional Environmental Resources From the Public Health Law Center, FDA and more. Download Resources Environmental Impacts Lesson Plan This is Chapter 9 of ANSR's Tobacco 101 curriculum. Download Lesson Plan Additional Materials Available Upon Request Environmental Impacts and Hazardous Waste Presentation Examples of Letters of Support Letters to the Editors on the Environmental Impacts Request Materials Tobacco - Threat to our Environment (WHO SEARO)

  • Flavored Tobacco | ANSRMN.ORG

    FLAVORED TOBACCO Nearly all commercial tobacco products come in a variety of candy, fruit, mint and novelty flavors. Flavored products are especially appealing to youth, who are much more likely to use flavored products than adults. Young people think flavored commercial tobacco products taste better and are safer than unflavored products, even though they are just as dangerous and addictive. Download Flavored Tobacco Factsheet Flavored Tobacco Factsheet Citations Oral nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, lozenges, and gums, have surged in popularity in recent years. Among these, nicotine pouches have quickly become the popular option, particularly among youth. 1 These pouches deliver nicotine discreetly, without smoke, spit or odor, making them an attractive choice for many users. Oral Nicotine Factsheet Oral Nicotine Factsheet Citations Flavored Tobacco at the Federal Level Due to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 , retailers can no longer sell cigarettes containing flavors other than menthol in the United States. However, other commercial tobacco products such as cigars, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes/vapes, blunt wraps and shisha are still available in flavors such as bubble gum, mint, strawberry, grape and mango. These products help the tobacco industry get around the FDA’s 2009 ban of flavored cigarettes and attract more youth to their products. Most young people who use commercial tobacco products report using products that are flavored. The flavored e-cigarette market has changed dramatically in recent years. While brands such as JUUL dominated the market and ignited the youth use epidemic, JUUL and other similar brands have lost market share while under extreme scrutiny from the FDA. A 2020 nationwide ban of flavored “pods” marked the end of JUUL’s reign. Today the market is overrun with thousands of “disposable” vapes in myriad flavors with increasing amounts of nicotine. Brands like ElfBar (now EBCreates) and Loon are among the most popular brands among youth. They come in flavors like “Hawaii Punch,” “Blue Razz” and “Strawberry Lemonade”, underscoring the industry’s efforts to appeal to young people. While thousands of brands, varieties and flavors are available for sale in the United States, almost all flavored e-cigarettes on the U.S. market lack FDA authorization. Until 2024, no flavored e-cigarette device had received an FDA marketing order and only 23 unflavored (tobacco-flavored) vapes received approval. Unfortunately, in June 2024, the FDA approved four menthol e-cigarette products, including two pods and two “disposable” devices made by NJOY, a subsidiary of the tobacco giant Altria, the makers of Marlboro. Menthol Ban Fact Sheet This decision comes on the heels of several delays to the 2021 FDA proposal to ban menthol in cigarettes and all flavored cigars. A federal menthol ban would address public health disparities in commercial tobacco use created by the aggressive marketing of menthol products to African Americans, Indigenous communities, LGBTQ+ people and youth. The rule remains in limbo, and it is unclear when the FDA will complete its rulemaking process and issue its final rule. In the meantime, local leaders continue to work on local and statewide policies that end the sale of all flavored commercial tobacco products, including menthol. Policy Momentum in Minnesota State and local governments can adopt laws that restrict or prohibit the sale of flavored commercial tobacco products within their jurisdiction. Limiting the sale of products, setting minimum prices or creating a minimum pack size are some of the ways communities can protect their youth by making flavored commercial tobacco products less accessible and less appealing. In 2015 and 2016, Minneapolis and Saint Paul became the first cities in Minnesota to restrict fruit- and candy-flavored commercial tobacco products to adult-only stores and set a minimum price for cheap, flavored cigars. Minneapolis' ordinance passed on July 10, 2015, and Saint Paul's passed on January 6, 2016. A majority of Saint Paul residents supported the ordinance . In 2017, with support from the Minnesota Menthol Coalition, Minneapolis and Saint Paul added menthol to their flavored commercial tobacco restrictions. Fruit-, candy- and menthol-flavored tobacco products can only be sold in adult-only tobacco stores and liquor stores in the two cities. Since then, many other Minnesota cities have restricted or fully banned the sale of flavored commercial tobacco products. See below for an up-to-date map of flavored commercial tobacco restrictions and prohibitions in MN. The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners issued a resolution supporting restricting flavored commercial tobacco sales in Ramsey County in 2017. In partnership with Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health, ANSR evaluated flavor policies in Ramsey County cities in 2023 and found that flavor policies reduce youth access . ANSR is proud to be a member of the Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation (MSFG) coalition. One of the coalition's main policy priorities is to prohibit the sale of all flavored commercial tobacco products, including menthol, at the state level. The bills to end the sale of all flavored commercial tobacco products in Minnesota (SF2123/HF2177) have made significant progress in the State Legislature in recent sessions. Visit the MSFG website to learn more about the coalition's statewide flavor policy work and access additional resources. Minnesota Flavor Policy Map As of February 2026, 13 Minnesota municipalities have prohibited the sale of all flavored commercial tobacco products, including menthol. 28 Minnesota cities have restricted or prohibited the sale of flavored commercial tobacco products in some manner. 8 Minnesota counties have restricted or prohibited the sale of flavored commercial tobacco products in some manner. 30.4% of Minnesotans are covered by a flavored tobacco policy *Click on the map to download as a PDF. 3 Facts to Know About Flavored Tobacco 1. The tobacco industry targets youth with flavored products to encourage addiction. Almost 90% of adults who smoke started smoking as teenagers. Candy- and fruit-flavored commercial tobacco products mask the harsh taste of tobacco and are shown to be attractive to youth. Many of these products are hard to distinguish from candy, gum and breath mints. As one industry official said in internal industry documents, “Flavored products would have appeal in the under-35 age group, especially in the 12-24 group.” 2. Flavored products may not taste like tobacco, but they are just as addictive and dangerous as other commercial tobacco products. Research shows that youth believe flavored commercial tobacco products are less dangerous and less addictive than unflavored tobacco. Commercial tobacco products contain nicotine, a highly-addictive substance known to be detrimental to adolescent brain development. Cigar smoke contains the same toxins as cigarette smoke. Smokeless tobacco causes oral, esophageal and pancreatic cancers. 3. An increasing number of young people are using flavored commercial tobacco products, including menthol. From 2000 to 2014, menthol cigarette use by Minnesota high school students increased from 20% to 44%. By comparison, only 25% of Minnesota adults who smoke use menthol. A recent Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) survey found that nearly 13% of Minnesota kids use e-cigarettes, which come in kid-friendly flavors like gummy bear and cotton candy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 42% of students who smoke use flavored products. Once kids start using one commercial tobacco product, they are more likely to experiment with others.

  • Technical Assistance | ANSRMN.ORG

    TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Minnesota Technical Assistance National Technical Assistance Minnesota Technical Assistance ANSR provides technical assistance (TA) to grantees in Minnesota working on projects through the Minnesota Department of Health's Commercial Tobacco-Free Communities, Statewide Health Improvement Partnership and Youth E-Cigarette Prevention and Cessation Initiative grants. A NSR provides TA and training to grantees for commercial tobacco-specific policy areas and general skills development through various methods, including: individual consultation via in-person, phone, email or video conversations; group trainings via conference calls, webinars, lunch-and-learns, presentations or workshops; and providing materials and other resources for commercial tobacco -specific areas, general policy development or skills developmen t . Grantees Served Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) Commercial Tobacco-Free Communities (CTFC) Youth E-Cigarette Prevention and Cessation Initiative (YEPCI) Strategy Expertise Commercial tobacco- and smoke-free policies Tobacco control Smoke-free housing Tobacco-free campuses Point-of-sale/retail environment Smoke-free foster care and/or child care Tobacco-free or smoke-free outdoor spaces (parks and recreation, transit stops, healthcare sites, etc.) Population-Specific Expertise Urban, suburban and rural populations Black, African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian and Native American populations 2SLGBTQ+ populations Youth and young adults Adults over 60 Persons with mental illness and/or experiencing substance misuse Foundational Skill Expertise Community Engagement Advocacy/community mobilization Coalition building and sustaining Partnership/leadership development Identifying and developing key relationships Asset and power mapping Leading and facilitating effective meetings Building teams Assessment, Planning & Evaluation Assessment or survey development Strategic planning Evaluation planning Evaluation tool development Continuous program improvement (quality improvement) Understanding of Policy, Systems & Environmental Change (PSE) General PSE knowledge and skills Policy development and analysis Policy implementation guidance Communications Communications tools and planning Earned and paid media campaigns Factsheet/material development Branding Effective messaging Identifying and using success stories Meet the TA Team Jeanne Weigum President Email Jeanne Contact Jeanne for: Questions about state-level tobacco control work General policy strategy assistance Inquiries about the history of tobacco control Emily Anderson Director of Policy Email Emily Contact Emily for: Assistance with outdoor air policy work (parks, grounds, campuses, etc.) Information about menthol tobacco Point-of-sale policy development and implementation Community outreach and coalition building tips Preparation for meetings and public hearings with decision makers Community assessment Youth engagement tools Alex Eberhart Project Lead Email Alex Contact Alex for: Technical assistance to property owners, property managers, and public health professionals Property signage and materials Smoke-free housing resources for property, managers, renters, and common interest communities Policy implementation in affordable, market rate, and common interest communities Creation and utilization of educational materials Social media content and best practices Molly Schmidtke Policy and Technical Assistance Manager Email Molly Contact Molly for: Point-of-sale policy advocacy assistance Community outreach and coalition building help Youth engagement and advocacy best practices Resource development Information about the environmental impacts of commercial tobacco Planning for meetings with decision makers Community assessments Public hearing organization Katie Engman Program Director, Policy & Compliance Email Katie Contact Katie for: Commercial tobacco-free policy adoption and implementation at schools Help reaching out to decision makers and organizing public hearings Point-of-sale policy advocacy Community outreach, youth engagement and coalition building best practices Development of new resources Planning for meetings with decision makers Community assessments Jaclyn Frank Community Outreach Coordinator Email Jaclyn Contact Jaclyn for: Technical assistance to property owners, property managers, and public health professionals Smoke-free housing community assessments and data tracking Policy implementation in affordable, market rate, and common interest communities Housing industry outreach and engagement Resident outreach and engagement Creation and utilization of educational materials Technical Assistance Resources Available These are examples of available resources for grantees. Click to view and download. Factsheets Electronic Cigarettes Factsheet (PDF) Hookah Factsheet (PDF) Little Cigars Factsheet (PDF) Swiss Cheese Prevention Model (PDF) Sign Order Forms E-Cigarette School Sign Order Form Tobacco-Free Property Sign Order Form Smoke-Free Window Cling Order Form Smoke- & Tobacco-Free Grounds Signage Templates 2023 MYTS Highlights Factsheet (PDF) Commercial Tobacco Retail Licensing (PDF) Youth Engagement Checklist (PDF) Group Facilitation Guide (PDF) 2024 Surgeon General's Report Highlights (PDF) Toolkits and Trainings More Information Build Your Quit Kit (PDF) Environmental Impact Toolkit Tools for Schools Toolkit K-12 Schools Policy Guide (PDF) Point of Sale Assessment & Engagement Tool (PDF) Flavored Commercial Tobacco Project WATCH Industry Monitoring Price Discounting Minnesota History of Tobacco Control Stop Sales to Minors Retailer Training Tobacco 101 Curriculum About Us and Our Technical Assistance Minnesota Tobacco-Free Grounds Map Best Practices for Updating a Commercial Tobacco Retail Ordinance National Technical Assistance ANSR’s boots-on-the-ground experience and commitment to best practices prepares us to assist tobacco programs at all levels of need and expertise. ANSR will help you accomplish your goals whether you’re taking your first steps toward educating your community about the harms of commercial tobacco, working on smoke-free multi-unit housing or developing cutting-edge point-of-sale policies. We tailor our approach to meet your needs and can customize a contract for you from our wide menu of services. Contact us at ansrmn@ansrmn.org to learn more about our fee-for service model. Example of Past National TA Project: Clean Air for All ANSR was awarded a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in March 2018 to support public housing agencies (PHAs) nationwide with implementation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Smoke-Free Public Housing Rule. With this grant, ANSR created Clean Air for All: The Smoke-Free Public Housing Project, a partnership between our Live Smoke Free program and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). Clean Air for All provided resources, technical assistance and a variety of training opportunities to public health agencies and PHAs in all 50 states, with a focus on 13 Tobacco Nation states where smoking rates are high and there are fewer resources to support tobacco prevention. Clean Air for All created a Smoke-Free Public Housing Compliance and Enforcement Toolkit (pictured right) that was distributed to 436 stakeholders in 34 states. ANSR's Live Smoke Free team can work with you to build a smoke-free housing compliance and enforcement toolkit for your state or region. Visit the Live Smoke Free website to learn more.

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Blog Posts (85)

  • Youth and Adults: Fighting the Tobacco Industry, Together

    By: Mỹ Linh Nguyễn, Clara Seeley, Lily DeWitt, Ethan Kinsella, Princeton Vang, and Summer Balfanz The tobacco industry will do anything to entice youth. Their influence is deeply embedded in our communities. They use bright colors and appealing flavors, sales and discounted prices, and social media and popular influencers to make their products seem trendy and mainstream. We’ve seen the results of the tobacco industry’s tactics loud and clear. Commercial tobacco use has taken over our school bathrooms, our social media feeds, and sadly, many of our friends’ lives. So how do we push back? We think we know the answer: adults working alongside young people, encouraging youth to use their power and their voices to stand up and speak out. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing for more than two years at the Ramsey Student Action Team (SAT) with the support of the Association for Nonsmokers-MN (ANSR-MN). SAT is a group of more than 20 high school students from 11 communities across Ramsey County. We are a dedicated group of youth advocates who have learned how to stop the tobacco industry and promote prevention and treatment resources. Our group was honored with the 2025 Group Youth Advocates of the Year Award from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for our extensive state and local advocacy efforts. As high school students, we saw the impact commercial tobacco use and nicotine addiction had on our peers, family members, and community, and wanted to do something about it. Our work taught us that our voices matter and are powerful. We are advocating to our city councils, at our social gatherings, in schools and at the state level. Working alongside ANSR, our group was educated about public health and empowered. We were never prouder than when we influenced lawmakers with our written testimony and voices. And working with ANSR, we have reached people our age in schools who are uniquely vulnerable to being hooked on commercial tobacco products. We’ve brought attention to Minnesota’s achievements in fighting big tobacco at a national level. Our relationship with ANSR has been mutually beneficial, something that kickstarted our team members’ personal growth and encouraged the growth and wellbeing of the communities we live in. With ANSR’s support, we have worked to strengthen policies in the cities of Vadnais Heights, Arden Hills, New Brighton, and St. Anthony Village, including ending the sale of flavored vapes and other flavored commercial tobacco products, setting a limit of retailers allowed to sell tobacco products, and increasing fines for retailers who break the law. We are especially proud of our work in Vadnais Heights. In November 2024, their city council voted unanimously to end flavored commercial tobacco sales after members of our group testified, organized letters of support and submitted letters to the editor in the local newspaper. We are motivated and encouraged by our ability to make change. We hope passionately that other young people will continue to be heard and empowered in the same ways we have. Our work is more than the sum of its parts, more than self-knowledge, accomplishments, or the personal growth we have experienced. With the right kind of adult support from ANSR, we have learned how to effectively enact flavor policies that will protect youth, while making sure that our voice is involved. We have worked hard and had a lot of success, but this work comes with challenges, too. Oftentimes, people find themselves thinking commercial tobacco is not an issue that applies to them. If they don’t smoke or vape, that’s all that matters. However, advocating for others is just as important as advocating for yourself. By showing people that someone they know is likely to be impacted, whether it’s their family member, friend, teacher or acquaintance, we are able to have meaningful conversations and make lasting change. We focus on the facts and help people understand the science behind what we’re advocating for. These things have made all the difference. We have certainly faced challenges in our work, including when decision makers are dismissive of youth voices. One experience stands out: we were testifying in support of a policy addressing flavored commercial tobacco products. One council member would not look us in the eye or even try to pay attention to what we were saying. Although this was discouraging, as advocates, we need to have faith in the power of our work and trust that the effort we put in will outweigh any decision maker’s disregard for our voice. As we continue to get the right support from adults to overcome these challenges, we are hopeful for the future. We know that hardworking people who truly care about an issue plaguing our world will always make things happen. Whether they are high school students or adults, everyone is impacted by commercial tobacco. We may be a small group, but we want to do as much as we can to make health a priority and strive for our generation to be a tobacco-free generation. View the published article here: https://sahanjournal.com/sponsored/youth-and-adults-fighting-the-tobacco-industry-together/

  • City of Minneapolis Votes to Strengthen Tobacco Ordinance to Prevent Youth Addiction

    Local Advocates Applaud Council Members for Continuing to Make Minneapolis a National Leader in Tobacco Prevention Policies MINNEAPOLIS – Today, the Minneapolis City Council voted to strengthen its tobacco ordinance to prevent youth addiction. The ordinance  sets a minimum price for all e-cigarettes at $25 and creates new restrictions on new tobacco licenses, including restricting new tobacco retailer locations within 300 feet of all K-12 schools, and updating zoning rules to exclude new tobacco product shops from areas that are mainly residential. The Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota and local advocates applaud the Council for continuing to make Minneapolis a national leader in tobacco prevention policies.  The ordinance, which was introduced by City Council Members Cashman, Chowdhury and Vetaw, passed unanimously. Raising the price of e-cigarettes and limiting where commercial tobacco is sold will keep tobacco products out of the reach of young Minneapolis residents and make it easier for adults to quit. Today’s popular e-cigarettes are flavored and contain high levels of nicotine, which harms the adolescent brain development and primes the next generation for addiction.  “It came up last year when we passed a minimum price for cigarettes, many parents in my ward were concerned that we weren’t really addressing the issue of today, which is that youth are getting addicted to vapes, and if we want to prevent more tobacco abuse and addiction in our city, that we need to address vapes,” said Council Member Katie Cashman, who co-authored the ordinance. “We don’t have distance requirements from tobacco stores, so we decided to add a distance from schools to be in line with cannabis and liquor stores.” “We know that the best way to stop tobacco use and nicotine addiction among young people is to stop the start,” said Council Member Aurin Chowdhury, a co-author on the ordinance. “We know that the health effects, especially for young people, are tremendous – not only on our respiratory systems, but there is so much public health research that shows that vaping can lead to and exacerbate mental health issues, from anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. We’re taking a step here on Minneapolis City Council to make it less accessible for young people, and we know that one of the best tools we have is pricing.” “I did this work for 20 years before being on the Council, so it’s always a pleasure to see it continue,”  said Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw, a co-author of the policy. “The work was always around cigarettes and the tobacco industry, as they do, swooped in and made e-cigarettes and vape devices huge in this community for young people. This ordinance is part of the work that helps to keep young people from smoking.”  The policy builds on Minneapolis’s groundbreaking leadership on tobacco prevention. In 2024, Minneapolis passed a price minimum of $15 per pack of cigarettes, prohibited price discounting and redemption of coupons for all commercial tobacco products, increased retailer penalties, and closed the tobacco sampling loophole. In 2015, Minneapolis became the first city in Minnesota to restrict fruit- and candy-flavored commercial tobacco products to adult-only stores and set a minimum price for cheap, flavored cigars. Minneapolis amended that policy to limit the sale of menthol tobacco products to adult-only tobacco shops. “The federal government has moved incredibly slow to enact or enforce any regulations on the vape market. The least we can do at the city level is set regulations on the price, knowing that price is the most effective tool for reducing smoking in adults and preventing youth from starting,” said Minneapolis resident Jaclyn Frank, a Community Outreach Coordinator for the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota . Minneapolis is the second Minnesota city to set a price minimum for e-cigarettes, following Saint Anthony Village’s adoption of a similar policy earlier this year. The Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota worked with local leaders and continues to support local and statewide action to prevent commercial tobacco addiction.  Research finds that while only 2 percent of youth in Minnesota use combustible tobacco products, 8.5 to 10.8 percent of youth use e-cigarettes or vapes. Young people are particularly vulnerable to price discounts and promotions, and ordinances that prevent price discounts for vape products are an important tool for protecting youth from the harms of commercial tobacco.  Several community members and addiction prevention leaders spoke at the June 24 committee hearing in support of the ordinance. Here are highlights from their testimony:   Ora Hokes, a grandparent, tobacco prevention educator and faith leader at the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, said: “Minneapolis has shown incredible leadership over the past decade, passing groundbreaking ordinances around flavored commercial tobacco products and price, including the $15 per pack price you set last year. Unfortunately, the tobacco industry never rests, so we can’t either. Thank you for recognizing that this problem is not solved all at once, but rather through consistent and persistent efforts.” Janet Sanchez, a young adult who works on commercial tobacco and other substance prevention at Indigenous Peoples Task Force, said: “Healthy people raise healthy people. A lot of our people grow up in addiction. Raising the price will help our youth stop and having less access to these products will help our communities in the long run.  Larry Fox, a Minneapolis parent whose young son became addicted to e-cigarettes in high school and struggled with addiction, anxiety and depression, said: “Tobacco companies have targeted minority communities for many years. These companies and the local businesses that sell their products put profits ahead of people, and the result is a deepening mental health crisis, especially among teens. If you care about social equity, I urge you to do everything you can to make vapes less accessible and support this ordinance.”    Damone Presley, who leads Commercial Tobacco Nicotine and Youth Cessation Programs for the Twin Cities Recovery Project, said:  “We’ve allowed the tobacco industry to undervalue our lives for too long. We need to put people over profits. Setting the minimum price of vapes at $25 will help people struggling with addiction to nicotine and help prevent the next generation from being addicted.” Hassan Mohamed, the Tobacco Prevention Coordinator at African Immigrant Community Services in Minneapolis, said: “We have seen the impact that tobacco and especially vaping has had on our young people. This policy change will be beneficial for everyone in all communities. We strongly support the City Council’s ongoing efforts to address tobacco in our city. The tobacco industry targets communities like mine and we must work together to make real, lasting change.”  Gemeda Bulton, Outreach Coordinator for the SubSaharan African Youth and Family Services, said: “Youth are very price sensitive so that is a very good policy. Youth from the communities I serve, like other Minnesota youth, seldom use combustible tobacco now. They use vapes, so it is important that we also make sure that the tobacco industry is not tempting our youth with cheap prices. A $25 minimum price will prevent many young people from starting to vape and will prevent many from getting addicted.”    For more information on tobacco price discounting and e-cigarettes, please view these fact sheets: Don’t Discount My Life  and E-cigs: the Vape Saga Continues .

  • Saint Anthony Village First in Nation to Set Minimum Price on Vapes

    On April 8th, 2025, Saint Anthony Village City Council voted 4-0 to update their Commercial Tobacco Ordinance . The amendment: Cap the number of commercial tobacco licenses at zero , which will be reached through attrition. Saint Anthony Village currently has five commercial tobacco license holders; End Price Discounting for Commercial Tobacco Products End the redemption of coupons and price discounts for all commercial tobacco products; Set a minimum price and package size for commercial tobacco products. A few examples include: $15 per pack of cigarettes $20 per electronic delivery device $15 per 0.32 ounce package of snus $15 per package of cigars (minimum five cigars) Going beyond Minnesota state law minimums for fines and license suspensions for repeated violations. Saint Anthony Village is the first city in the nation to set a minimum price on vapes at $20 and the third city in Minnesota to cap their commercial tobacco licenses at zero. One-third of adult smokers use tobacco coupons or discounts. Higher commercial tobacco prices lead to reduced adult smoking rates, less youth initiation, and more quit attempts and calls to quit lines. These changes will protect Saint Anthony Village youth and residents from tobacco industry targeting, reduce the appeal of commercial tobacco products, and support those who are trying to quit using commercial tobacco. ANSR applauds the Council for voting in support of this ordinance and putting their residents’ health first. Thank you to everyone who emailed, called, testified, sent a letter of support, attended a council meeting, and/or spread the word about this ordinance. Your voice matters in creating important public health policy change!

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Association for Nonsmokers - Minnesota Logo - white

2395 University Ave. W, Suite 310

Saint Paul, MN 55114


Office: 651-646-3005 

Fax: 651-646-0142

Email: info@ansrmn.org

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In 1975, ANSR helped pass the nation’s first comprehensive state clean indoor air legislation. Since then, ANSR has continued to play a leading role in shaping tobacco policy and has been involved in every major state-wide policy, such as the Freedom to Breathe Act in 2007 and raising the tobacco tax in 2013. ANSR helped Minneapolis and Saint Paul restrict the sales of flavored tobacco, including menthol, and also helped Edina become the first Minneapolis city to raise the tobacco sales age to 21.

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