Similar Ordinances to this have been passed throughout the metro area.  Prior Lake passed its in April 2021.  Bloomington has long been a leader in tobacco regulations and will eliminate all tobacco sales later this year.

The City Council held a workshop on this Ordinance on January 18, 2022 and since that time, all tobacco license holders were notified by first class mail of the proposed changes.  The proposed Ordinance has been posted on the city's website for comments.

Twenty two cities in Minnesota have enacted flavored tobacco regulations.  Four cities besides Prior Lake have recently adopted similar regulations including Columbia Heights, Roseville, Moorehead and Shoreview.

Certain flavors of vaping have been banned by the federal government.  Creative companies have found a loophole in the regulations.  The highest user base are teenagers who have now switched to disposable e-cigarette like Puff Bar, which are less expensive that the former industry leader, Juul, who has tried to conform to federal regulations.  Vaping can offer instances of higher nicotine.  Vaping has been found to be as addictive to tobacco smoking, with reports finding that teenagers will vaping throughout the day.  Those that stop vaping can experience similar withdrawl symptoms to cigarettes.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institute on Drug Abuse found that flavored vaping research has shown that many teens and young adults don't realize that the flavors that are used can contain nicotine, an addictive compound found in tobacco.  Many vaping compounds also contain propylene glycol, glycerin, chemical flavorings and other compounds with unknown health effects.  As a result, people who vape, even with just flavoring, may inhale and ingest potentially harmful chemicals.  

Recent studies showed that students who had already used any type of e-cigarette by the time they started the 9th grade were more likely than other to start smoking cigarettes and other smokable tobacco products within the next year.

Based on feedback from stores that will be impacted by this Ordinance, staff has made the effective date January 1, 2023 so that stores are able to dispose of any existing inventory.

City staff received emails for and against, which are attached.  Scott County Public Health is in support of the Ordinance.