Press Releases

Revised Walz/Flanagan Budget a Major Win for Health and Kids

Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation Supports Prevention Funding, Closing E-Cigarette Loopholes

St. Paul, Minn. – Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation today thanked Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan for including bold tobacco prevention measures in their revised state budget proposal. The Walz/Flanagan revised budget proposal released today invests $8 million a year in tobacco prevention and treatment and closes tax loopholes on e-cigarettes.

“Thank you to Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan for championing bold policy changes to protect health and Minnesota kids,” said Molly Moilanen, Vice President at ClearWay Minnesota^SM and Co-Chair of Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation. “Investing in proven prevention and treatment strategies will help adults quit and stop youth addiction before it starts.”

Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation is a coalition of more than 60 organizations that share a common goal of reducing youth smoking and ending tobacco’s harm for good. The coalition urges lawmakers to take a comprehensive approach to reduce youth tobacco use, including increasing tobacco prices, ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products and investing in tobacco prevention programs.

Dedicated funding is urgently needed to address Minnesota’s stalled adult smoking rates and the youth tobacco epidemic. For the past 20 years ClearWay Minnesota, the foundation created with 3 percent of the tobacco settlement, has provided the majority of funding for tobacco prevention in Minnesota. ClearWay Minnesota will sunset at the end of 2021, leaving a gap in prevention resources.

Last month, the Minnesota Department of Health released findings from the 2020 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey that show the youth e-cigarette epidemic continues. One in five Minnesota high-schoolers reported using e-cigarettes within the past 30 days, and 70 percent of youth e-cigarette users reported signs of dependence. While Minnesota has achieved historically low levels of youth smoking, e-cigarette use has wiped out decades of progress to reduce youth tobacco rates.

Meanwhile, tobacco taxes and settlement fees are a huge source of revenue, yet the state invests very little in prevention programs. Last year, Minnesota collected nearly $760 million in tobacco revenue and spent only 1 percent of that total on commercial tobacco prevention and treatment. In addition, two major tobacco companies recently reached a settlement to pay Minnesota $81 million in unpaid tobacco settlement fees by March 31, 2021. When the state receives these recouped settlement fees, the Governor’s budget directs $8 million a year to prevention and treatment. The proposal is similar to a strategy pursued by Minnesota lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. Their bills (HF1410/SF1484) would dedicate $15 million a year from recouped settlement payments to tobacco prevention and treatment.

The COVID-19 pandemic reinforces the need for strong tobacco prevention and treatment programs, since smokers are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. To make matters worse, communities targeted by the tobacco industry, including Black and Indigenous Minnesotans, are some of the hardest hit by COVID-19.

Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation supports several bipartisan bills that will invest an additional $15 million a year in tobacco prevention and treatment. The Legislature could invest recouped settlement fees (HF1410/SF1484), appropriate general funds (HF569/SF684) or dedicate cigarette tax revenues (HF 572/SF 743) to boost underfunded tobacco prevention programs at the Minnesota Department of Health.

The Walz/Flanagan budget proposal also closes loopholes on e-cigarette taxes and conforms the state to new federal regulations on e-cigarette sales. Price can be a powerful tool to reduce youth tobacco use, since young people are two to three times more responsive than adults are to tobacco price increases.

More info:

• Fact sheet: High Tobacco Prices = Fewer Kids Smoking
• Fact sheet: Funding Tobacco Prevention and Treatment

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, ending the sale of menthol and all flavored tobacco products, and funding tobacco prevention and treatment programs.

Partners include: The African American Leadership Forum, Allina Health, Allina Health | Aetna, 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 Development Corporation, Becker County Energized, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation, Cancer Legal Care, CentraCare, Children’s Defense Fund-MN, Children’s Minnesota, ClearWay Minnesota^SM, Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio – CLUES, Dodge County Public Health, Education Minnesota, Essentia Health, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, A Healthier Southwest, HealthPartners, Hennepin Healthcare, Horizon Public Health, Indigenous Peoples Task Force, ISAIAH, JustUs Health, LAAMPP Alumni, Lake Region Healthcare, Local Public Health Association of Minnesota, LPCFC – Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative, March of Dimes, Masonic Cancer Center – University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, Medica, Meeker McLeod Sibley Community Health Services, Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians, Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers, Minnesota Cancer Alliance, Minnesota Council of Health Plans, Minnesota Dental Association, MHA – Minnesota Hospital Association, Minnesota Medical Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, Minnesota Oral Health Coalition, Minnesota Public Health Association, Minnesota Society for Public Health Education, MNAAP – Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, ModelCities, NAMI Minnesota, North Memorial Health, NorthPoint Health & Wellness, Olmsted Medical Center, Open Cities Health Center, PartnerSHIP 4 Health, Perham Health & Living, Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, ShiftMN, 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.