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STAFF REPORT <br />TO:Mayor Keis and Members of the City Council <br />FROM:Heidi Heller, City Clerk <br />DATE:May 8, 2019 <br />RE:Proposed Ordinance 838, Amending Chapter 802 to Raise the Legal Age to 21 to <br />Purchase Tobacco and Tobacco Products <br />BACKGROUND: <br />At the Council Workshop on Wednesday, March 13th the City Council discussed the possibility of <br />adopting a Tobacco 21 Ordinance in Little Canada. Representatives from the Association for <br />Nonsmokers-Minnesota (ANSR) attended the workshop and provided background information on <br />tobacco industry trends and the status of proposed legislation at the Minnesota Senate and House of <br />Representatives. As of April 2, 2019, 31 Minnesota cities and counties have raised their tobacco age to <br />21. Seventeen of the cities are in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, including the adjacent cities of <br />Roseville and Shoreview, along with nearby Arden Hills. After learning that many metro <br />municipalities have adopted Tobacco 21 Ordinances and it appears unlikely that the proposed state <br />legislation will pass this year, the City Council directed staff to prepare a draft amendment to City <br />Code Chapter 802 to raise the age to 21 to purchase tobacco and tobacco products in Little Canada. <br />Below is some information that was discussed at the March Workshop: <br />According to the Minnesota Department of Health’s 2017 Minnesota Youth Tobacco survey, <br />youth tobacco use has increased for the first time in 17 years. This is largely due to e-cigarettes. <br />95% of current adult smokers started before they were 21 <br />About 59% of 18-19-year-olds have been asked to buy cigarettes for someone younger. <br />Smoking causes over $3.2 billion in excess medical costs in Minnesota annually ($262.7 million <br />in Ramsey County). <br />According to a report from Minnesota Medicine, increasing the purchase age from 18 to 21 for <br />tobacco could prevent 30,000 youth from becoming smokers within the next 15 years. <br />It’s estimated that 18-20-year-olds make up roughly 2-4% of the tobacco market so retailers <br />should not see a large loss from tobacco sales. <br />Little Canada currently has seven tobacco licenses issued. City Code Chapter 802 allows an <br />unlimited number of General Sales & Display licenses (issued to businesses where tobacco sales are <br />an accessory use to the primary business, such as a gas station), and two Tobacco Store licenses (a <br />business that receives 90% of its revenue from tobacco and related products). Little Canada appears <br />to be a popular location for tobacco sales as staff receives a few calls every year from people wanting <br />to open additional tobacco and hookah stores.