City Council Meeting Date: November 19, 2019
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Title
Review Proposed Ordinance Amending Northfield City Code, Chapter 30 - Health Care and Sanitation, Article II. - Tobacco (Tobacco 21 Ordinance) and Consider Motion Approving Meeting Date for First Reading of the Proposed Ordinance.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council considers approving a motion to have the First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Northfield City Code, Chapter 30 - Health Care and Sanitation, Article II. - Tobacco (Tobacco 21 Ordinance) on January 7, 2020.
Summary Report:
The Northfield Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (NASAP) has been reviewing proposed changes to the Northfield Tobacco Ordinance to implement key components of Tobacco 21(T21). Representatives of NASAP met with City staff over the course of several months to discuss T21 and possible ordinance changes. City Attorney Hood worked with City staff on the proposed ordinance changes, incorporating additional items identified by staff that needed updates.
Representatives of NASAP Katie Reed, Michelle Dumonceaux, Shelly Dickinson, Belinda Zubia, and Nancy Vega and Tracy Ackman Shaw and Camryn Stokes and Brekken Modory from Rice County Public Health, will be presenting information (Attachments 1 & 2) on the proposed changes to the Tobacco Ordinance. A redlined version containing the proposed changes is shown in Attachment 3. The City’s existing ordinance is shown in Attachment 4. Council is being asked to discuss the proposed changes and set a date for the first reading of the proposed ordinance so staff can inform the license holders of the proposed changes. State Statute § 461.19 Effect on Local Ordinance; notice requires 30 days notice of substantial amendment of any local ordinance be mailed to licensees. A complete copy of Chapter 461 is attached (Attachment 5).
Key components and reasons for T21 are as follows:
• Raises the legal purchase age from 18 to 21 for all tobacco products.
• Sets minimum age of 18 for retailer staff to sell tobacco.
• Requires all licensees and sales staff to have tobacco sales education within 30 days of licensing or hire.
• Requires proof of age for tobacco sales.
• Limits avenues of tobacco access for youth under the age of 21.
• Maintain current accountability for tobacco retailers while expanding the age to 21.
• Focus on Retailers, Tobacco Industry, and Social Sources (i.e peers, friends)
• Research shows that raising the legal sales age from 18 to 21 would greatly reduce youth tobacco use and prevent kids from starting to smoke, according to a 2015 Institute of Medicine report. Notably, the report estimated there would be a 25 percent reduction in smoking initiation among 15-to-17-year-olds if the age to purchase tobacco were raised to 21.
• An estimated 30,000 fewer youth in Minnesota will become smokers over the next 15 years.
• Reducing access to 18-20 year olds will decrease underage tobacco use. 75% of smokers age 15-17 get tobacco from social sources.
• 95% of current adult smokers started before they were 21.
• 6000+ Minnesota’s die each year from tobacco use. Smoking costs Minnesota more than $3 billion annually in excess health care costs.
• 75% of American adults, including 70% of current smokers, support raising the tobacco age to 21.
• No amount of Nicotine is safe for youth. Exposure to nicotine has a lasting impact on the developing adolescent brain. The addictive properties of nicotine are particularly harmful to youth and can lead to heavier daily tobacco use and a difficult time quitting later in life.
• T21 has been associated with significantly reduced tobacco use in other communities.
• T21 will not “hurt” retailers - 18-20 year old’s make up roughly 2-4% of tobacco sales, but provide tobacco to the majority of underage smokers. Additionally, the health benefit of saving kids from a lifetime of addiction and disease outweighs retailers having to adjust to a small decline in sales.
Alternative Options:
The Council could suggest changes to the proposed ordinance for further review and discussion by NASAP. The proposed timelines can also be amended.
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timelines:
November 19, 2019 - NASAP Presentation & Council discussion setting date for first reading.
December 2, 2019 - Proposed ordinance changes mailed to license holders.
January 7, 2020 - First Reading of Ordinance.
January 21, 2020 - Second Reading of Ordinance & Approve summary publication.
January 29, 2020 - Publication of Summary Ordinance.
February 28, 2020 - Ordinance becomes effective (30 days following publication)