On Monday, the city of West St. Paul raised the buying age for cigarettes and vaping products, restricting the sale of tobacco to anyone under 21.
On Tuesday, the cities of St. James, Golden Valley and Scandia did the same.
And then it was St. Paul’s turn to join a growing club of Minnesota cities that are banning stores from selling tobacco to youth — even to young people ages 18 to 20, who are technically adults. That includes e-cigarettes and other products associated with vaping, whose health effects are gaining greater scrutiny following a number of deaths nationwide.
The St. Paul City Council on Wednesday unanimously voted to pass “Tobacco 21,” making it the 53rd community in the state to do so.
St. Paul has previously restricted the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol, to tobacco shops. It’s the 10th city to pass both measures, according to advocates with the Association for Nonsmokers-MN, one of the St. Paul-based nonprofits that had advocated for the new buying age.
Additional supporters include health agencies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and the American Cancer Society, as well as youth groups such as the Harding High School Student Council and Vision in Living Life Change is Possible.
The new rules in St. Paul come with a few extra considerations, including loosening penalties for youth who use tobacco.
Young people who are caught using or attempt to buy tobacco products are no longer subject to petty misdemeanors, though they can still be charged with a misdemeanor for brandishing a fake I.D.
“Almost every one of the 53 cities that has passed ‘Tobacco 21’ in Minnesota has removed the penalties penalizing minors,” said Chris Turner, a spokesperson with the Association for Nonsmokers-MN. “Studies show the penalties do not help the youth and often sets up potential law enforcement engagement with youth, particularly youth of color.”
The ordinances are intended to help young people Turner said.
“The intent is to ensure and promote responsible behavior from the retail vendors,” Turner added.
On the flip side, tobacco shops — or retail stores that derive 90 percent of their revenue from tobacco sales — must now stop anyone below the age of 21 from entering.
Selling tobacco or tobacco products to people under 21 is now a criminal misdemeanor in St. Paul, and a second violation within five years of a conviction would be considered a gross misdemeanor.
Penalties for stores that sell tobacco products to young people will begin at a $200 fine for a first offense and increase with each subsequent offense to $400, $800 and a seven-day suspension of a tobacco license, followed by revocation.
Council Member Dai Thao, who represents high-minority neighborhoods such as Frogtown and Summit-University, was heavily involved in calling for the new regulations. The ordinance was also sponsored by Council President Amy Brendmoen, Rebecca Noecker and Chris Tolbert.