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7574;;;Ip <br /> 11111:71 rAl <br /> A I 1.4°4_4 a <br /> Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota <br /> 1421 Park Avenue South,Minneapolis,Minnesota 55404 <br /> (612)339-1902 FAX:(612)339-4928 <br /> June 19 , 1990 <br /> Michelle Hiven <br /> City Planner <br /> 2401 Highway 10 <br /> Mounds View, Mn 55112 <br /> Ms. Hiven: <br /> In December you attended a conference on children's access to <br /> tobacco products. Since that conference a whole lot has <br /> happened. To date 18 cities have completely banned the sale of <br /> tobacco products from vending machines . At least 22 others have <br /> instituted lesser prohibitions. The State Legislature also got <br /> into the act. Pushed by the tobacco/vending lobby, the <br /> legislature considered legislation which would have pre-empted <br /> cities from passing stronger ordinances. The pre-emption was <br /> defeated but the State ultimately passed a very weak and largely <br /> • unenforceable law which requires remote controlled locking devices <br /> on some machines and placement of machines within view of an <br /> employee in other cases . There are no enforcement provisions and <br /> no penalties in the state law. <br /> Since the state law passed Golden Valley has passed a total ban <br /> and Edina and Minnetonka have passed total bans on a first <br /> reading. Three or four of St. Paul 's northern suburbs are <br /> forming a :joint task force to formulate a tobacco intervention plan <br /> for their communities . <br /> The ball is rolling on vending machines and several communities <br /> -. E. •r ■ <br /> alternatives available to cities are: <br /> 1 . Enforcement of age-of-sales laws through tobacco license <br /> revocation or license suspension for those caught selling tobacco <br /> to minors; <br /> 2. Enforcement of age-of-sale laws through gross prosecutions of <br /> vendors caught selling tobacco to minors , <br /> 3. Variable license fees with those selling from behind the <br /> counter receiving substantial discounts over those selling from <br /> self-service racks (a practice with allows for easy shoplifting <br /> by even inexperienced shoplifters) . <br /> 4. Prohibitions of billboard advertising of tobacco (and <br /> alcohol ) . <br /> CHARTER MEMBER • <br /> C• :NED <br /> OF MINNESOTA <br />