Minnesota ban on flavored tobacco products unlikely to pass this year

ST. PAUL, Minn. (GRAY) – A bill that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products in Minnesota appears unlikely to pass this year. Advocates rallied at the Minnesota State Capitol on Thursday, as students, educators, and parents voiced support for the bill.

“Teachers and nurses and superintendents and principals are pleading for the state to do its part in helping reduce this epidemic,” said Pat McKone, Senior Director for Public Policy and Advocacy with the American Lung Association.

Advocates argue that flavored tobacco products can attract the attention of kids and teenagers, hooking them on nicotine at a young age.

“This needs to change and the change needs to happen now. We are supposed to be the voices of tomorrow, but the lack of care for our health has made us be the voices of today,” said Madelyn Fisher, a senior at Owatonna High School who spoke to members of the press Thursday.

The House version of the bill, authored by State Representative Ethan Cha, was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill during a House Commerce Committee hearing last month. Instead of adopting the House’s version of the Commerce Policy Bill, both chambers moved forward with the Senate’s version, a bill which did not include language for the flavored tobacco ban.

Rep. Cha says the bill’s only chance is to be adopted during a conference committee between the House and Senate.

“We’ll be in conference and we’ll continue to push forward, but we still need all the advocates and everybody to continue to write and push their legislators on both sides of the aisle,” said Cha.

It’s very uncommon for a bill to adopt new language in a conference committee. Typically, discussions are limited to differences between the existing language in both bills.

Still, voices at the capitol made clear they intend to continue the fight against flavored tobacco products, even if the bill doesn’t pass this year.

“I will not stop until our children and communities are all safe. We will continue to champion children and communities who have been targeted by big tobacco companies,” Cha said.

A version of this bill has existed for several years, and it’s likely Cha or a different lawmaker will reintroduce the bill next year.

If eventually passed, Minnesota would be just the third state to ban all flavored tobacco products, after California and Massachusetts.

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