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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Council Worksession <br />September 25, 2018 <br />5:00 pm <br /> <br />Present: Mayor Valerie Johnson <br /> Councilmember Graeme Allen <br /> Councilmember Mary Burg <br /> Councilmember Emily Dunsworth <br /> Councilmember Paul Jacobsen <br />Absent: <br /> <br />Staff in Attendance: Tony Paetznick, Trevor Hamdorf <br /> <br />Guests in Attendance: Katie Engman (Ramsey County Tobacco Coalition), Jeanne Weigum (Association for <br />Nonsmokers-MN), Kristen Ackert (Ramsey County Tobacco Coalition), Bethlehem Yewhalawork (Ramsey <br />County Tobacco Coalition), Isabelle (student) <br /> <br />Tobacco Ordinance <br />Paetznick stated there were several representatives present from the Ramsey County Tobacco Coalition and the <br />Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota to discuss the City’s tobacco Ordinance. <br /> <br />Katie Engman, Ramsey County Tobacco Coalition, provided the Council with an overview on what was <br />happening in the State of Minnesota and Ramsey County regarding youth tobacco use. She reported e- <br />cigarettes have become an epidemic and youth tobacco use was on the rise for the first time in 17 years. She <br />explained there were a number of communities that were considering raising the tobacco age to 21 to combat <br />youth tobacco use. She discussed how flavored tobacco products were very appealing to youth. She described <br />how youth ages 18 to 21 were a critical market for the tobacco industry. She explained the proposed age <br />change would assist in keeping tobacco products out of the hands of 13, 14 and 15 year olds. She then <br />presented the Council with several different e-cigarette products. She commented youth were very uninformed <br />as to the amount of nicotine in e-cigarettes and described how the tobacco industry was targeting youth. <br /> <br />Ms. Engman discussed the benefits of raising the tobacco age to 21 and explained this would assist the City in <br />reducing youth e-cigarette use. <br /> <br />Councilmember Dunsworth asked how much nicotine was in an e-cigarette. Ms. Engman reported a Jul e- <br />cigarette had as much nicotine as one pack of cigarettes. <br /> <br />Councilmember Jacobsen questioned if the amount of nicotine was regulated within e-cigarettes. Ms. Engman <br />stated this was not regulated. <br /> <br />Councilmember Dunsworth asked how much a Jul e-cigarette cost. Kristen Ackert, Ramsey County Tobacco <br />Coalition, reported the Jul unit itself was about $70 and refill cartridges ran about $20 for four refills. <br /> <br />Councilmember Burg questioned what the long-term effects were of e-cigarette use in youth. Ms. Engman <br />stated this addiction was creating mental health issues, reducing the ability to focus and described how the <br />brain receptors suffer.