2019.05.28 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 14, 2019 Page 8 of 11 the testimony for Lindsey Olson in full for the record. It was noted Ms. Olson was a heart disease survivor and had lost her father and grandfather to smoking related diseases. She reported tobacco use was the leading preventable cause of death in Minnesota. She explained 6,000 Minnesotans die each year from smoking related illnesses and cost Minnesotans more than $3 billion annually. She reported there had been a steady noting there was a decline in teen tobacco use over the years and in 2017 this decline stopped. This decline was attributed to e-cigarette use. She noted e-cigarettes were not FDA approved as a cessation device to help quit smoking. She explained one Juul pod holds as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. She commented the CDC has deemed the spike in e-cigarette products to be an epidemic. She reported the most effective way to tackle this burden was to prevent kids from becoming addicted to tobacco to begin with. She stated she was happy to see the City was working on a Tobacco 21 Ordinance. She was happy to see this Ordinance would eliminate the sale of flavored tobacco products in New Brighton, thus limiting the appeal. She explained flavored tobacco products mask the harshness of tobacco flavored products but are still just as addictive. She thanked the Council for their leadership on behalf of Ms. Olson and encouraged the Council to pass a T21 Ordinance. Melanie Moberg, 205 6th Street NW, stated she had a daughter that was 18 and questioned what the point was to limit tobacco sales to someone that was considered an adult. Mayor Johnson asked for additional comments, there were none. Motion by Councilmember Jacobsen, seconded by Councilmember Allen to close the Public Hearing. 5 Ayes, 0 Nays - Motion Carried The Public Hearing was closed at 8:22 p.m. Mayor Johnson requested feedback from the Council on the proposed Tobacco Ordinance. Councilmember Allen stated he was a smoker and noted he has smoked for over half his life. He wished he had never started smoking. He noted tobacco has had a negative impact on his life. He explained he has known hundreds of smokers throughout his life. He stated he supported raising the legal age of purchase to 21 in hopes of keeping teens from smoking. He explained he supported flavored tobacco products being sold at adult only stores. He commented he could support sampling at adult only tobacco shops. He indicated he supported menthol sales at gas stations. Councilmember Dunsworth thanked the residents and business owners that came out to speak on this topic. She explained the comments brought forward had given her a lot to think about. She reported she supported raising the purchase age to 21. She commented she would like to see the City take a step to limit access to vaping products for teens. She indicated she would not support a prohibition of flavored products in New Brighton but did support moving all flavored tobacco products to an adult only shop. She believed this made a lot of sense as a first step for the City. Councilmember Jacobsen stated he struggled with this topic. He commented at age 18 people could go to enlist, go to war and die for their country. He explained he enlisted at age 18 and was deployed shortly thereafter. He reported the community had to address the high use of e-cigarettes in its schools and for this reason, he stated he could support raising the purchase age to 21 for tobacco products. He believed it was a heavier damage for adults to continue smoking than to vape. For this reason, he did not support restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products or sampling in the City of New Brighton. He commented how New Brighton businesses would be impacted if flavored tobacco sales were restricted given the fact they could still be sold in Roseville. Councilmember Burg stated she began smoking when she was 10 years old and quit when she was 19. She explained her mother would not let anyone smoke in her home, which impacted her habit and led her to quit. She noted she lived in New Orleans when the Clean Air Act was passed in Minnesota. She supported more money going to educating youth on the use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. She indicated she supported the T21 portion of the Ordinance and recommended the State regulate the flavored tobacco sales. Mayor Johnson commented she supported T21 and noted she lived in a home with a smoker. She noted she