Advocacy
Tobacco Prevention in Central Minnesota
The dangers of tobacco are widely known, but that does not mean tobacco prevention advocacy can slow down. The tobacco industry has incredible resources to thwart prevention efforts and put tobacco in the hands of young people. While strict regulations have forbidden tobacco from advertising like they used to, their marketing agencies have found more subtle ways of introducing tobacco to new customers, including youth.
Edina, Minnesota took a landmark step in the effort to improve health and wellness by becoming the first city in the state to push the age limit for buying tobacco products to 21. Many Minnesota cities are now following suit.
Using tobacco is a personal choice, but one that should only be made when someone is old enough to know of and understand the consequences. We’re fighting to make sure everyone in Central Minnesota has that chance.
Connect with us today and learn how you can get involved in updating our local tobacco ordinances to help reduce tobacco’s harm in our communities.
Local point-of-sale strategies enhance state tobacco control efforts in the following ways:
- Decrease tobacco use and impulse purchases of harmful products
- Reduce tobacco-related health disparities
- Counter the amount of dollars being spent on marketing by the tobacco industry
- Increase community awareness of tobacco industries practices
- Communicate health information
- Improve compliance with tobacco control strategies
Changing the Factors That Influence Tobacco Use for Young People
Age
Increasing the age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21 is a policy initiative that has taken off across the country. A growing number of states and hundreds of communities have raised the legal tobacco purchase age. Tobacco 21 (T21) is supported by many, including current and past tobacco users.
Point of Sale
Local point-of-sale strategies and regulations help to enhance tobacco prevention efforts by offsetting the impact of tobacco-industry marketing on youth. Those strategies also help reduce current tobacco-related health disparities.
Strategies such as restricting the proximity of tobacco retailers to schools, prohibiting the sampling of tobacco products, requiring all tobacco retailers and staff to participate in training programs, prohibiting coupons and price promotions and setting minimum price and packaging for cigars helps to reduce impulse purchases of tobacco products and offset the tools the industry uses to keep their current customers using tobacco products, while also luring in new customers.
