05-25-2022 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Keis and Members of the City Council FROM: Heidi Heller, City Clerk/HR Manager DATE: May 25, 2022 RE: Ordinance 864, Amending City Code Chapter 802, Tobacco Products ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED Hold the Public Hearing and consider adoption of Ordinance 864, amending City Code Chapter 802, Tobacco Products. BACKGROUND In June 2021, Council members stated that they would like to consider amendments to the tobacco code. After the issues from one of the tobacco store owners during the pandemic, and learning that more cities are further restricting the number of tobacco licenses issued and products that can be sold, Council questioned why the City was still issuing licenses for tobacco product sales when there is so much information about how harmful tobacco is to public health. Many cities in the metro area and statewide, are making changes to their tobacco codes to better protect their residents and community health overall. Common changes over the last two years are ending indoor sampling/smoking and limiting or prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products. At the January 12, 2022 Workshop, the Council discussed changes that could be made to the tobacco products and licensing chapter of the City Code, and agreed that ending the allowance of indoor smoking at the tobacco stores and not increasing the number of tobacco licenses issued were their top priorities. Staff has drafted proposed Ordinance 864, amending the City Code relating to tobacco products and licensing, for Council consideration. The proposed ordinance states the following facts related to smoking: • National data show that about 95 percent of adult smokers begin smoking before they turn 21. The ages of 18 to 21 are a critical period when many smokers move from experimental smoking to regular, daily use. Electronic delivery device use among youth has recently tripled. Young minds are particularly susceptible to the addictive properties of nicotine. As a result, approximately 3 out of 4 teen smokers end up smoking into adulthood. • Commercial tobacco use causes disease and death and constitutes an urgent public health threat as it remains the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States, with 480,000 people dying prematurely in the United States from smoking-related diseases every year.