Decreasing Tobacco Use and Exposure

Tobacco use in Minnesota is still a big problem. Currently, 13% of the state’s population still smoke, and this year 18% of our kids will use tobacco. Smoking costs Minnesota $2.9 billion in excess health care costs annually along with another $5.4 billion in annual losses in productivity.   PartnerSHIP 4 Health is working to decrease tobacco use and exposure through policy, systems, and environmental changes in the following areas: 

• Smoke-free Multi-unit Housing: Smoke-free apartment buildings are not always available to every renter. PartnerSHIP 4 Health works with renters, landlords and building owners on the process of going smoke-free.
• Decreasing Youth Access to Tobacco:                                                    Tobacco use among youth is still a problem in Minnesota, and one of the best practices shown to decrease youth access to tobacco is having strong local tobacco policies and ordinances around tobacco point of sale. PartnerSHIP 4 Health is working with cities and counties to update their Tobacco Sales Ordinances, make sure compliance checks are completed, and assess tobacco advertisements inside and outside of tobacco retailers within the four counties. We support:
  • Restricting Flavored Tobacco Products: Restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products protects kids and creates a healthier future.
    • In the United States in 2024: 88.2% of high school students and 85.7% of middle school students who used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days reported using a flavored e-cigarette during that time.
  • Price: Keeping tobacco prices high is the most effective way to prevent kids from becoming addicted to tobacco products. 
  • Restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products protects kids and creates a healthier future.
  • Price: Keeping tobacco prices high is the most effective way to prevent kids from becoming addicted to tobacco products. 
  • E-Cigarettes are popular and we’re working with schools and communities to reduce their use.  We also provide quit resources. With over fifteen thousand flavors available, these devices are highly attractive to youth. E-cigarettes, or other devices for “vaping,” come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This makes them very difficult to recognize by the untrained eye. 
    • How to talk to your kids about vaping
    • Nicotine Pouches: Nicotine pouches are small pockets filled with nicotine, typically flavored, and go in your mouth and sit in between your lip and your gums. While this idea has been around for years and years, nicotine pouches are much smaller, meaning you wouldn’t necessarily notice them in someone’s mouth if they have one in.
      • Nicotine is an addictive drug found in tobacco products like cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snus, e-cigarettes, cigars and more. While these pouches may not contain tobacco, they do contain the addictive component of nicotine.
      • Popular companies that sell nicotine pouches are Zyn, On! and Velo.