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MINiJTE5 <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />MAY 22, 1996 <br />City already bans self-service displays. <br />Morelan pointed out the City's cigarette ordinance does <br />not place restrictions on vendors, it has been the <br />vendors themselves who have voluntarily done it. <br />Morelan felt some additional restrictions would not <br />place a great burden on merchants. <br />Scalze suggested the need for a workshop on this issue <br />as well as a presentation from the Association for Non- <br />Smokers. <br />Pedersen submitted an ad by Phillip-Morris which <br />supports the banning of vending machines. Pedersen <br />stated that some additional restrictions would not be <br />controversial. <br />LaValle felt there currently is not a problem in the <br />City. Morelan disagreed, and indicated that Little <br />Canada should have some continuity with what <br />surrounding cities are doing. <br />Scalze pointed out that there are strict penalties of <br />someone sells liquor to a minor. However, the problem <br />with tobacco is there are no penalties to the owner for <br />sale to a minor, only with the clerk making the sale. <br />Scalze referred to an article from the Associated Press <br />which indicates that communities with regulations sold <br />to minors in 21% of compliance checks. Those without <br />regulations sold to minors in 49% of compliance checks. <br />The City Administrator pointed out that the issue keeps <br />surfacing, and that the Mayor's Commission Against <br />Drugs would say early tobacco usage leads to usage of <br />illega]. substances. Regulating tobacco sales may help <br />in that regard. <br />Morelan agreed this was a parent's issue, but felt <br />anything the City could do to make parents' jobs easier <br />should be done. Morelan felt it was an issue of making <br />business owners aware there are penalties for selling <br />tobacco products to children. <br />Fahey suggested the Council review some model <br />ordinances which regulate or restrict vending machines <br />and prohibit self-service tobacco displays. Fahey felt <br />these kinds of restrictions did not seem unreasonable. <br />Fahey pointed out that in reviewing the information the <br />Council has, it appears only 20 cities have adopted an <br />out-right ban on vending machines. Fahey stated that <br />he would like to avoid restrictions that appear <br />15 <br />