Press Releases

Youth Tobacco Survey Shows Need for Urgent, Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention Policies

2020 Survey Finds 1 in 5 High Schoolers Use E-cigarettes, 70 percent of Youth Vapers Show Signs of Nicotine Dependence

MINNEAPOLIS – Today the Minnesota Department of Health released findings from the 2020 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey. The survey found that Minnesota has achieved historically low levels of youth smoking, which is a major victory for public health thanks to two decades of strong, proactive public policy and investments in prevention. Unfortunately, the survey also found that 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.

“The reduction in youth cigarette smoking is a public health success story – and we urgently need additional policies to combat the youth e-cigarette epidemic,” said Molly Moilanen, Vice President at ClearWay Minnesota^SM and Co-Chair of Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation. “Minnesota needs a comprehensive, all-hands-on-deck approach to protect the next generation from lifelong tobacco addiction – including high prices, investing in tobacco prevention and treatment and ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products.”

Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation is a coalition of more than 60 organizations that share a common goal of reducing youth tobacco use and ending commercial tobacco’s harm for good. The coalition supports increasing tobacco prices, ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products and investing in tobacco prevention programs. This year, Minnesota lawmakers in both chambers have proposed bills to achieve those goals. The coalition supports bills to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Minnesota (HF 904/SF1271); and invest in tobacco prevention and treatment (HF569/SF684; HF 572/SF 743; HF 1410).

Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation also supports the Walz/Flanagan budget proposal to raise tobacco prices and urges lawmakers to invest more of these tobacco revenues in prevention and treatment. Raising commercial tobacco prices is a leading strategy to prevent kids from using tobacco products, help smokers quit and save lives.

Dedicated funding is immediately needed to address Minnesota’s stalled adult smoking rates and youth tobacco epidemic. For more than two decades ClearWay Minnesota^SM, 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 year, Minnesota took in nearly $760 million in tobacco revenue and spent only 1 percent of that total on commercial tobacco prevention and treatment. Bipartisan proposals in both chambers aim to invest additional dollars in tobacco prevention programs at the Minnesota Department of Health.

The 2020 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey found flavored tobacco products are a huge driver of youth tobacco use. The survey found that among current tobacco users, 84 percent of high-school and 63 percent of middle-school students used a flavored tobacco product (menthol or other flavors) in the past 30 days. In addition to hooking kids, flavored tobacco products – especially menthol – have been used for decades by the tobacco industry to target Black and LGBTQ Minnesotans. Clearing the marketplace of all flavored products would protect youth and reduce tobacco-related health disparities.

A 2020 poll of Minnesota residents found overwhelming support for policies to address commercial tobacco use, including ending flavored tobacco sales, raising tobacco prices and investing in tobacco control programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic adds urgency to tobacco prevention efforts, since current and former 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.

All Minnesota residents can access quit-tobacco help through the state’s Quit Partner^TM programs, available by visiting quitpartnermn.com or calling 1-800-QUIT NOW. As part of that program, Minnesota teens can access free and confidential services by texting “Start” to 36072 or visiting MyLifeMyQuit.com. Coaches are available to help teens develop a quit plan, cope with stress, learn about nicotine and receive ongoing support.

More info:

• Minnesota Department of Health: Data Highlights from the 2020 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey
• Fact sheet: E-cigarettes: threatening the health of Minnesota youth
• Fact sheet: Ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products
• Fact sheet: Funding tobacco prevention and treatment
• Fact sheet: Higher tobacco taxes = fewer kids smoking

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.