Press Releases

National Tobacco 21 a Historic Victory for Kids, Health

Policy is Important Piece of Comprehensive Approach to Reverse Youth Nicotine Epidemic

MINNEAPOLIS (12/19/19) – Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation today applauded the U.S. Congress for raising the national tobacco age to 21. The U.S. House and U.S. Senate approved the Tobacco 21 provision as part of a budget bill that is heading to the President’s desk. Tobacco 21 is an important part of a comprehensive approach to reverse the youth nicotine epidemic. Raising the tobacco sale age to 21 will help keep tobacco products out of schools, prevent youth tobacco use and save lives.

Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation, a coalition of more than 60 organizations that share a common goal of reducing youth smoking and ending tobacco’s harm for good, supports Tobacco 21 as part of a wide-reaching effort to reduce youth nicotine addiction. The coalition also supports prohibiting the sale of all flavored tobacco products, investing in tobacco prevention initiatives and implementing commonsense tobacco price policies.

“A national Tobacco 21 law is a win for kids – and we cannot stop there,” said Molly Moilanen, Vice President at ClearWay Minnesota^SM and Co-Chair of Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation. “There is no silver bullet to this e-cigarette epidemic. Minnesota must continue passing bold policies at the local and state level to combat Big Tobacco and ensure our kids grow up free from addiction.”

The federal Tobacco 21 law will go into effect September 1, 2020. Minnesota lawmakers should still pass the Tobacco 21 state bill to ensure strong implementation, compliance and enforcement and remove ineffective penalties on youth. In 2019, the statewide Tobacco 21 bill cleared the Minnesota House and one Senate committee.

Urgent action is needed because the youth e-cigarette epidemic has disrupted decades of progress to reduce youth tobacco use. The 2019 Minnesota Student Survey found one in four Minnesota 11^th-graders and 11 percent of 8^th-graders reported using an e-cigarette in the past month. Vaping rates have risen dramatically in the past several years, even as youth cigarette smoking has reached record lows. Nicotine in any form harms the developing adolescent brain and can prime youth for addiction.

Nearly 95 percent of adult smokers started before 21, and raising the tobacco age deters initiation and can prevent a lifetime of addiction. Nineteen states have passed Tobacco 21 and Minnesota is ready for statewide Tobacco 21. Earlier this week, the city of Rushford became Minnesota’s 56^th Tobacco 21 community.

Even after federal action, Minnesota communities can – and should – continue to pass strong Tobacco 21 ordinances to protect kids now. Communities can also take additional steps to reduce teen tobacco use and combat tobacco-related disparities, including prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products.

The Tobacco 21 legislation is a welcome departure from years of federal inaction on tobacco issues. In September, President Donald Trump announced he would protect kids by banning the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes in the United States. The President has not yet followed through on this promise, despite the e-cigarette epidemic and overwhelming evidence that flavors lure kids into addiction. In the absence of strong federal regulation, Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation will continue work with local and state lawmakers to prohibit the sale of all flavored products.

The state also must invest in youth prevention efforts to combat Big Tobacco marketing and stand up for kids. This funding is urgently needed as ClearWay Minnesota nears its sunset. On Thursday, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids released its annual Broken Promises report. Their report showed that Minnesota’s tobacco prevention ranking is slipping as ClearWay Minnesota nears its sunset. ClearWay Minnesota funds about 60 percent of the state’s prevention efforts and the life-limited organization will end in 2021, leaving a significant gap in services unless the state acts.

“Raising the tobacco age is a great step but we cannot and will not abandon our other efforts to protect youth from tobacco addiction and help adults quit,” Moilanen added. “Tobacco 21 will be even more effective if paired with strategies including a flavor prohibition and prevention funding. We look forward to working with state and local lawmakers to pass a strong Tobacco 21 bill and other big and bold tobacco prevention policies.”

In the 2020 session, Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation will advocate for implementing a strong Tobacco 21 policy at the state level, prohibiting the sale of all flavored tobacco products, investing in youth prevention and increasing tobacco prices.

About Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation

Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation is a coalition of more than 60 organizations that share a common goal of saving Minnesota youth from a lifetime of addiction to tobacco. The coalition supports policies that reduce youth smoking and nicotine addiction, including increasing tobacco prices, raising the tobacco sale age to 21, limiting access to candy-, fruit- and menthol-flavored tobacco, and funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs. 

Partners include: A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation, A Healthier Southwest, African American Leadership Forum, Allina Health, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association in Minnesota, Apple Tree Dental, Association for Nonsmokers – Minnesota, Aurora/St. Anthony Neighborhood Corporation, Becker County Energize, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Cancer Legal Care, CentraCare Health, Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, ClearWay Minnesota^SM,  Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio – CLUES, Dodge County Public Health, Education Minnesota, Essentia Health, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, HealthEast, HealthPartners, Hennepin Healthcare, Hope Dental Clinic, Horizon Public Health, Indigenous Peoples Task Force, ISAIAH, JustUs Health, LAAMPP Alumni, Lake Region Healthcare, Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative, Local Public Health Association of Minnesota, March of Dimes, Mayo Clinic, Medica, Meeker McLeod Sibley Community Health Services, Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians, Minnesota Cancer Alliance, Minnesota Council of Health Plans, Minnesota Hospital Association, Minnesota Medical Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, Minnesota Oral Health Coalition, Minnesota Public Health Association, MN Association of Community Health Centers, MN Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Model Cities of St. Paul, Inc., NAMI Minnesota, North Memorial Health Care, NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, Olmsted Medical Center, Open Cities Health Center, PartnerSHIP 4 Health, Perham Health, Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, Shift MN, St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, Steele County Public Health, Tobacco Free Alliance, Twin Cities Medical Society, UCare, Vision In Living Life “Change is Possible”,  WellShare International and Zumbro Valley Medical Society. Find out more at: smokefreegenmn.org.