Press Releases

President Trump Should “Take Care of” Kids, Not Big Tobacco

FDA E-cigarette Proposal Leaves Massive Loopholes for Tobacco Industry to Target Youth

MINNEAPOLIS (1/2/20) – Today, the Trump Administration released a weakened version of its e-cigarette flavor ban, which includes a temporary ban on some pod-based, candy-flavored e-cigarettes. President Trump’s plan would exempt menthol-flavored products and open tank vaping products, both of which are popular among youth. The proposal falls dramatically short of the President’s September promise to ban the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes in the United States.

Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation urges President Trump and the federal government to put kids ahead of Big Tobacco profits. The New York Times reportedthat at a New Year’s Eve press conference President Trump spoke about the importance of protecting the tobacco industry, saying, “We have a very big industry. We’re going to take care of the industry.”

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 the prohibition of all flavored tobacco products. Flavored tobacco products appeal to kids and are driving the youth nicotine epidemic. In particular, menthol tobacco products are heavily marketed toward youth and diverse communities including African Americans and LGBTQ people.

“President Trump and the FDA should take care of the nation’s kids and our health – not Big Tobacco,” said Molly Moilanen, Vice President at ClearWay Minnesota^SMand Co-Chair of Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation. “Nationwide Tobacco 21 was a great first step toward reversing the youth nicotine epidemic and we cannot stop there. We urge President Trump to uphold his promise to clear the market of all flavored e-cigarettes. The last thing our youth need is for Big Tobacco to continue their business of targeting kids with flavored, highly-addictive products.”

The Food and Drug Administration has wide authority to regulate tobacco products. Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation urges the agency to use its full authority to take all flavored tobacco products off the market, rather than making concessions to the tobacco industry.

Minnesota lawmakers also have the authority to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products – including e-cigarettes, combustible and smokeless products. Ending the sale of all flavored products is an important part of a comprehensive effort to address tobacco addiction among youth and priority populations. The coalition urges state lawmakers to take this step as part of a bold package of proposals to address rising youth tobacco use.

Minnesota communities are national leaders in passing bold flavor restriction policies. Fourteen Minnesota communities have voted to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products. In late December, Carlton County became the latest to pass a policy that restricts the sale of all flavored tobacco products to adult-only stores.

The 2019 Minnesota Student Survey showed youth e-cigarette rates continue to rise. The survey found one in four Minnesota 11^th-graders reported using an e-cigarette in the past month. Eleven percent of 8^th-graders said they use e-cigarettes regularly, which is nearly double the 2016 rate.

“A weak federal policy leaves Minnesota kids as sitting ducks to the tobacco industry,” Moilanen added. “Minnesota lawmakers should pass a comprehensive policy that clears the market of all flavored tobacco products – especially menthol. We need bold and comprehensive action to reverse the e-cigarette epidemic and protect youth from Big Tobacco – an industry that profits mightily while we all pay the price.”

Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation encourages lawmakers to counter Big Tobacco’s aggressive marketing toward our kids. The coalition asks lawmakers to adopt strong statewide Tobacco 21 rules, prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products, invest in youth prevention and strengthen tobacco price policies.

Key Facts:

Youth Flavored Tobacco Use – Stats from FDA industry guidance, 2016-2017 PATH study:

• 97 percent of current youth e-cigarette users had used a flavored e-cigarette in the past month.
• 70 percent say they use e-cigarettes “because they come in flavors I like.”

Youth Menthol Tobacco Use:

• Seventy-one percent of African American youth smokers (ages 12 to 17) smoke menthol tobacco products. Source: Changes in the prevalence and correlates of menthol cigarette use in the USA, 2004-2014.
• Nationally, 57 percent of high school e-cigarette users use menthol or mint flavors. Source: 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey.
• In Minnesota, over a third (34.1 percent) of teen smokers smoke menthol cigarettes. Source: Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey 2017.
  • Meanwhile, 27.5 percent of adult smokers in Minnesota report smoking menthol cigarettes. Source: Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey 2018.

Findings from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey:

• Percent of students who vaped e-cigarettes in past 30 days
  • Grade 8: 11 percent (95 percent increase from 2016-2019)
  • Grade 9: 16 percent (75 percent increase from 2016-2019)
  • Grade 11: 26 percent (54 percent increase from 2016-2019)

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.