The Shoreview City Council showed strong leadership in protecting the health and well-being of its residents on Nov. 21, 2016. The City Council voted unanimously to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products to one adult-only tobacco store.
“Shoreview is showing leadership, as it has over the years,” Mayor Sandy Martin said in the meeting. “We are (making) a good leadership decision and hopefully many more communities will follow us.”
Shoreview joins Saint Paul and Minneapolis in restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products. Other places to restrict flavored tobacco sales include Providence, R.I., and New York City. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration banned flavoring in cigarettes but didn’t extend this to other tobacco products. Shoreview’s action closes that loophole.
The tobacco industry has a long history of targeting young people with flavored tobacco. Katie Engman, program director for the Ramsey Tobacco Coalition, said she is excited to see Shoreview take action.
“Shoreview has proven itself to be a leader willing to stand up to the tobacco industry’s blatant attempts at hooking kids with candy-flavored tobacco,” Engman said. “Shoreview has always shown strong leadership and was one of the first cities to ban the sale of tobacco by vending machines. The city continues to showcase a long-term commitment to creating a healthy community. Shoreview’s leadership and vision make it a great place. We hope this encourages other communities to stand up to the tobacco industry and protect youth.”
The Ramsey Tobacco Coalition is a program of the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota (ANSR), a Saint Paul-based non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the human and economic costs of tobacco.
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