Duluth Approves Higher Tobacco Age
The Minnesota city raises the purchase age for tobacco and e-cigarettes to 21 and older.
Jan 30, 2019
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council voted to raise the purchase age for all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, to 21, although the ordinance won’t take effect until late May, the Duluth News Tribune reports.
The council voted 6 to 2 in favor of the rule, which passed with lots of public support at Monday’s meeting. However, the Duluth BizPAC saw the policy as one that would hurt the city’s convenience retailers, especially after Duluth restricted the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products to 21-and-older smoke shops.
“We suggest looking at the effect of the menthol ban ordinance, along with a number of other anti-business ordinances recently passed by the council, to gauge the overall effect of these policies before passing another ordinance that will certainly be a negative for the city tax coffers and business in the city of Duluth,” said Rob Stenberg, chair of the Duluth BizPAC, in a letter to the council.
One councilman, who voted for the higher tobacco buying age, said he wanted to take another look at the flavored tobacco restriction. “I’m probably in the minority on this, but it is my opinion that if we approve ‘Tobacco 21’ tonight, we should at least go back and look at the flavored tobacco ordinance,” said Councilor Erik Forsman.
Duluth joins a growing number of cities raising the tobacco buying age, and is just one Minnesota city banning or restricting flavored tobacco products. Virginia is the latest state to consider legislation raising the tobacco purchase age to 21.
