History was made in 2017 as tobacco companies were finally forced to tell the truth about their deadly products. A federal court found major tobacco companies Philip Morris (now Altria), R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard engaged in fraud, conspiracy and racketeering to hide the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke and how they manipulated their products to create and sustain addiction. Their deceptive acts included misleading the public, suppressing research and destroying documents to protect their profits. After failed appeals, the industry was forced to start running ads containing corrective statements. The ads admit facts such as the following: Smoking kills, on average, 1,200 Americans. Every day. More people die every year from smoking than from murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes and alcohol, combined. Cigarette companies intentionally designed cigarettes with enough nicotine to create and sustain addiction. All cigarettes cause cancer, lung disease, heart attacks and premature death – “lights,” “low tar,” “ultra lights,” and “naturals.” There is no safe cigarette. There’s no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

The Robbinsdale City Council took strong measures to protect youth from the harms of tobacco on Dec. 5. The City Council voted unanimously to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products to adult-only tobacco stores and to establish a minimum price for cheap, flavored cigars. Robbinsdale is the fifth Minnesota to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco, following, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Shoreview and Saint Louis Park. Several Minnesota cities have set minimum prices for cigars, including Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Brooklyn Center, Bloomington, Richfield and Maplewood. “For me, I want to lead and not just say the lowest common denominator is what we should go with,” councilmember Dan Rogan said after the first reading. “This change makes sense. It puts us in line with what other forward-looking communities are doing who are trying to address this.” In Robbinsdale, flavored cigars cost as little as three for 89 cents. This ordinance sets a minimum price of $2.60 per cigar and $10.40 for packs of four or more. Moving flavored cigars, which are often brightly packaged and are geared toward youth initiation, to adult-only tobacco stores reduces the visibility of the products. “Thank you to the city council for taking the steps to make Robbinsdale a healthier city,” said advocate Kate Richardson, who organized support within the community for the policies. “I’m thankful your involvement and concern for the issue and for listening to residents and taking it into consideration. “I look forward to continuing the process in making our city great and continuing the conversation around increasing the tobacco sales age to 21 in the near future. “We’ve taken a great step tonight to protect our youth.  I’m pleased with all the other Robbinsdale residents who came forward to support a healthy community.” Robbinsdale considered raising the sale age for tobacco to 21 but didn’t vote on that. The council passed a resolution supporting a statewide initiative to raise the age to 21.

The Saint Louis Park City Council showed its dedication to protecting its youth on Dec. 4. The City Council voted unanimously to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products within the city. This is the second major initiative the city has undertaken to reduce youth smoking. The city also raised the tobacco sale age to 21. The city is the fourth in Minnesota to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco, following, Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Shoreview. Earlier this year, Saint Louis Park was the second city to raise the sale age for tobacco products to 21. It is the first city in Minnesota to do both. “I’m proud we passed Tobacco 21, but this is also necessary,” councilmember Sue Sanger said during the hearing on Nov. 20. “Big Tobacco is aiming (these products) at younger people to get them hooked. I brought this issue up more than a year ago with the goal and hope of improving the public health of the entire community but especially the public health of our younger population and to try and make it more difficult for younger people to have access to flavored tobacco and all tobacco products.” In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration banned flavoring in cigarettes but didn’t extend this to other tobacco products. Saint Louis Park’s action closes that loophole. The tobacco industry has a long history of targeting young people with flavored tobacco. “Most start out because it seems cool,” said Saint Louis Park High sophomore Eitan Weinstein, “But it can lead to nicotine addiction and further health problems in the future.” Matt Flory, president elect of the Minnesota Public Health Association and a resident, said he was proud of the council. “As a father, I am proud to be raising my kids in a community that puts children first. All seven city council members recognize the potential public health impact of Tobacco 21 and a ban on flavored tobacco,” Flory said. “I hope other cities will join us to create a smoke-free generation throughout Minnesota.”

The Plymouth City Council took steps to protect its youth by voting 4-3 to raise the sale age for all tobacco products to 21 on Nov. 28. Council members Jim Davis and Ned Carroll urged fellow members to support the ordinance, making Plymouth a leader in the state. Council member Jim Willis was also vocal in his support, while Judy Johnson also voted in favor. “We need to take the lead on this,” Carroll said. Added Davis, “Health issues associated with smoking are well-documented. I’d rather be a leader than a follower on this.” Plymouth became the fourth city in Minnesota to raise the age to 21. The city joins five states – Hawaii, California, New Jersey, Maine and Oregon – and more than 275 municipalities in protecting youth by raising the sales age for tobacco to 21. Edina, St. Louis Park, and Bloomington also raised the tobacco sales age this year. More than 95 percent of current smokers started smoking before they turned 21. If youth don’t start smoking before the age of 21, they likely never will. Needham, Mass., raised the tobacco age to 21 in 2005 and within five years, tobacco use among high school students decreased by nearly half. “It’s inspiring to see local advocacy in action and to see our city council choose protecting kids over Big Tobacco profits,” said advocate Caitlin DeVos, who volunteers with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “I’m grateful to the community members who showed support and to see that the council wants to advocate with us at the state level.”

One of the fastest growing trends in reducing the youth tobacco usage rates is centered around lifting the sales age for tobacco to 21. While Minnesota as a state has not taken a full look at this, local municipalities are taking it on themselves to protect youth. The Bloomington City Council did its part with a unanimous vote on Nov. 6 to raise the sale age for all tobacco products to 21. “Adopting this now, instead of three months or six months from now, we probably will save somebody’s life,” said Bloomington Council Member Eldon Spencer. “We might save five or 10 lives and that’s probably more than we do at the average Council meeting. So, I think it is a very good step and I want to be part of it.” Bloomington became the third city in Minnesota to raise the age to 21. In May, Edina became the first city in Minnesota to raise the age to 21. Saint Louis Park followed in June. “I am proud to be a part of a community that is willing to take the extra step to protect our young people from the harms of tobacco,” said Jenna Carter, a mother and Bloomington resident who works for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Prevention. “I have seen first-hand what addiction to tobacco can do, and I am happy that the Bloomington City Council unanimously voted for this ordinance.” Bloomington’s Council had previously taken steps to protect its youth by establishing a minimum price for cheap, flavored cigars. Before that, cigars were as cheap as three for $.99.

The Saint Paul City Council showed strong leadership in protecting the health and well-being of its residents on Nov. 1 by restricting the sale of menthol tobacco products to adult-only tobacco and liquor stores. The council passed the ordinance 6-1. Councilmember Jane Prince authored the ordinance, which is designed to reduce youth smoking and combat tobacco industry targeting. “I decided to support the menthol restriction in response to a very broad-based coalition of community groups: people of color, young people, the LGBTQ community, the medical community, and our own public health department,” Prince said. “The coalition made me aware that the tobacco industry has targeted young people and communities of color for decades, focusing the sale of menthol products in communities like the ones I represent. I am fed up with this horrible industry that has cost our city, state and nation a tremendous fortune in dollars and, more importantly, lives.” The tobacco industry has targeted the African American community for five decades with menthol tobacco products. The industry also highly targets youth, women and the LGBTQ community. This has contributed to the health disparities seen in Saint Paul and across Minnesota. “Menthol is so addictive that it makes it extremely hard to quit,” said Sylvia Amos, President of the Minnesota State Baptist Convention Women’s Auxiliary. “This fight is about saving lives. Saint Paul is fortunate to have a City Council that is willing to lead on this issue.” The ordinance had tremendous community support behind it, including 50-plus organizations involved in the Minnesota Menthol Coalition, such as Aurora-St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation, African American Leadership Forum, Saint Paul National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), God Squad, Hmong Health Care Professionals Coalition (HHCPC) and Anglos Latinos Motivados a Superarse (ALMAS), as well as numerous faith-based organizations and churches. Many African American community leaders, including Minnesota Rep. Rena Moran, strongly supported the ordinance. The community was passionate in placing the health of residents over profits for the tobacco industry. “When the opposition said we had nothing to lose, it hurt me to the core,” said Damone Presley, ASANDC Youth Count Program Director, “We lose lives. We lose families, children, elders. We lose our community. Thanks to the Saint Paul City Council for putting youth over tobacco industry profits. This ordinance will help protect our communities from the predatory tobacco industry.”

Minneapolis – The Minneapolis City Council showed strong leadership in protecting the health and well-being of its residents on Aug. 4 by restricting the sale of menthol tobacco products to adult-only tobacco and liquor stores. The council passed the ordinance 10-2. Council Members Cam Gordon and Lisa Bender co-authored the ordinance, which is designed to reduce youth smoking and combat tobacco industry targeting. “The community, especially many of our youth and a wide range of community members, asked us to do more to address the unique dangers of menthol tobacco,” Gordon, chair of the Health, Environment and Community Engagement Committee, said. “The deadly consequences of tobacco use are undeniable, and limiting youth access to menthol tobacco is one thing we can do to prevent some people from starting and getting addicted, which will improve the health of future generations.” The tobacco industry has targeted the African American community for five decades with menthol tobacco products. The industry also highly targets youth, women and the LGBTQ community. “I am proud to support our youth in their effort to restrict access to menthol tobacco in order to reduce the likelihood they will start using tobacco products and ultimately suffer from preventable problems, including heart disease and cancer,” Bender said. “We know the marketing of these products is targeted to young people, specifically black youth, and we’ve heard loud and clear from these young people that they do not want these products readily available in their communities.” The ordinance had tremendous community support behind it, including 50-plus organizations involved in the Minnesota Menthol Coalition, as well as numerous African American Community leaders. Sen. Jeffrey Hayden and Reps. Rena Moran and Ilhan Omar supported the ordinance. The community was passionate in placing the health of residents over profits for the tobacco industry. “Our health is not for sale,” said Juan Jackson, Board Chair for NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center and Board Secretary for the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network. “This menthol restriction is 20 years overdue. There is nothing cool or soothing about a cigarette or making money from harming our youth. We thank our elected officials who’ve chosen to follow the communities’ leadership on this problem.” The ordinance will go into effect on Aug. 1, 2018.

The Saint Louis Park City Council showed strong leadership in protecting the health and well-being of its youth on July 17. The City Council voted 5-0 on the consent agenda to raise the sale age for all tobacco products to 21. “It’s well-documented that people are more likely to develop a smoking habit if they start as teenagers,” Councilmember Sue Sanger said. “Raising the minimum age to 21 appears to be a very sensible and easy-to-enforce means to accomplish this.” Saint Louis Park is the second city in Minnesota to raise the age to 21. It joins three  states – Hawaii, California and Oregon – and more than 230 municipalities in protecting youth by raising the sale age for tobacco to 21. In May, Edina became the first city in Minnesota to raise the age to 21. More than 95 percent of current smokers started smoking before they turned 21. If youth don’t start smoking before the age of 21, they likely never will.  Needham, Mass., raised the tobacco age to 21 in 2005 and within five years, tobacco use among high school students decreased by nearly half. “Sometimes cities need to lead, and I am proud my city was willing to take this important step,” said Matt Flory, resident and president-elect for the Minnesota Public Health Association. “This will prevent a new generation of kids from taking up a dangerous habit. I hope other communities will join us as we work toward a state law.”

Edina, Minn. – The Edina City Council showed strong leadership in protecting the health and well-being of its youth on May 2. The City Council voted unanimously to raise the sale age for all tobacco products to 21. “For me, it’s a fairly straightforward situation,” Mayor James Hovland said. “The long-term benefits to public health far outweigh the commercial aspects of this. This fits in the realm of what we can do and where we can make a difference. Hopefully, it will percolate up to the state.” Edina is the first city in Minnesota to raise the age to 21. It joins two states – Hawaii and California – and more than 220 municipalities in protecting youth by raising the sale age for tobacco to 21. More than 95 percent of current smokers started smoking before they turned 21. If youth don’t start smoking before the age of 21, they likely never will. Ages 18-21 are a critical time when young people move from intermittent smoking to daily use. Four out of five experimental smokers become daily smokers by age 21. Needham, Mass., raised the tobacco age to 21 in 2005 and within five years, tobacco use among high school students decreased by nearly half. Edina first considered raising the age to 21 after a presentation last fall from Community Health Commissioner, Dr. Caleb Schultz. Councilmembers heard from many members of the community during the public hearing, including Dr. Schultz, who has spearheaded the policy effort. “(Tonight) Edina demonstrated how much we value our children’s health by being the first city in Minnesota to enact a Tobacco 21 ordinance,” Schultz said.  “I’m proud of Edina for taking this major step in creating the first truly tobacco-free generation.” A national consensus is growing to prevent addictions and future health problems by raising the sale age of tobacco products to 21. Research shows that increasing the tobacco age in Minnesota would prevent 30,000 kids from becoming smokers over the next 15 years. The tobacco industry heavily targets 18-to-21-year olds with candy flavoring, magazine advertisements and event sponsorships. 75 percent of adult Americans favor increasing the minimum purchase age for tobacco to 21.

The Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) showed strong leadership in protecting the health and well-being of residents and visitors to Minneapolis parks on March 8. The Board voted unanimously to make all Minneapolis parks tobacco-free, with an exemption for use of tobacco with traditional Native American spiritual or cultural ceremonies. “We are excited to join with dozens of other local park systems in becoming completely tobacco-free," Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Superintendent Jayne Miller said. “This policy supports our mission to promote healthy lifestyles and environments for residents and park visitors across Minneapolis and will contribute to many park patrons’ use and enjoyment of our system. I also want to thank Commissioner Steffanie Musich for taking a lead role in developing this important policy." The Board’s current Smoking/Tobacco Use Policy, which was approved in 2009, does not address the use of chewing tobacco or electronic cigarettes. The new tobacco policy expands to cover both of those uses and also honors traditional Native American spiritual or cultural ceremonies. A July 2016 survey of Minneapolis residents conducted by Morris Leatherman for the Minneapolis Healthier Parks Initiative found that 60 percent of respondents supported Minneapolis parks being 100 percent tobacco-free at all times. On Wednesday, a diverse group of Minneapolis residents, including LaTrisha Vetaw of NorthPoint Health & Wellness and Breathe Free North and Emily Anderson from the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota (ANSR), spoke out in support of the policy. Vetaw said the policy was the result of hardworking, dedicated young people who wanted to see it happen. “The Minneapolis Park Board stepped up to the plate and did a great thing for the city,” Vetaw said. “Making the parks 100 percent tobacco-free will protect everyone who uses our parks. Special thanks to Steffanie Musich and to all the other park commissioners for their hard work, dedication and commitment to our youth." The policy went into effect May 8, 2017.

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.

ANSR has been working with the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Macalester College for several years on their tobacco-free campus policies. With support from ANSR, the U went tobacco-free in 2014 and Macalester followed shortly thereafter in 2015. Since the policies’ enactment, ANSR staff has continued to work with the schools to make sure students, faculty, staff and visitors are aware that tobacco use is not allowed anywhere on campus and to ensure tobacco users looking to quit are connected to on-campus cessation help. ANSR has helped each school develop unique campaigns tailored to their needs. At the U, ANSR helped create and launch the Share the Air Ambassador program, which is now in its second semester of existence. This program, supported by the MDH Tobacco-Free Communities grant at ANSR, recruits students, faculty and staff to be ambassadors for the tobacco-free campus policy. The ambassadors are trained to visit tobacco-use “hot spots” around campus and politely approach policy violators to remind them about the policy. The ambassadors also distribute free “Share the Air” chewing gum, with information about the cessation services available at Boynton Health Services printed on the pack. The program has been highly successful. The majority of policy violators have been cordial, immediately stop using tobacco and take the information about cessation resources. This semester, the ambassadors have another tool: free “Share the Air” water bottles they can give to anyone they encounter who is not using tobacco. This is another way to positively promote the policy and thank people for remembering to “Share the Air.” At Macalester, ANSR worked with Health and Wellness Center staff to design and implement the “Did You Know?” campaign to raise awareness about the tobacco-free campus policy and illustrate how the policy aligns with Macalester values. The campaign, consisting of sandwich boards, posters, table tents, sidewalk decals and webpages, illustrates the negative impact tobacco has on the environment and social justice issues, such as child labor. The policy is uniquely suited to Macalester and its focus on environmental sustainability and social justice. The campaign has been well-received and will continue to help Macalester support and promote its policy for years to come.