City Enacts Tobacco Sales Ordinance In Roseville

Roseville MN

11 February, 2021

3:42 AM

Description

Press release from the City of Roseville: February 10, 2021 The Roseville City Council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products at its February 8 meeting. The ordinance prohibits most retailers from selling flavored tobacco products. The ordinance allows the four tobacco-only retailers in the city to continue selling flavored tobacco as long as they prohibit persons under the age of 21 from entering the place of business, meet stand-alone structural requirements, and derive at least 90% of their revenue from the sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products. No new such business will be licensed by the City of Roseville in the future. Several municipalities across the state had begun restricting sales, and many residents urged the City Council to join them. In October 2020, the City Council directed staff to look at ways to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products in the City of Roseville. Staff worked with the Association of Non-Smokers and the Hamline/Mitchell Law School Public Health Law Center to draft the ordinance. One of Roseville's aspirations is to ensure the community is physically and mentally active and healthy. Marketing analysis, public health research, and tobacco industry documents show that tobacco companies use menthol, mint, fruit, candy, and alcohol flavors as a way to target youth and young adults. By restricting access to flavored tobacco, the city intends to protect youth and young adults against the serious health effects associated with the use of tobacco by preventing young people from starting to smoke. This press release was produced by the City of Roseville. The views expressed here are the author's own.