Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
City In Minnesota May Become First In State To Raise Tobacco Age To 21
In a much anticipated City Council meeting, Edina residents waited till almost midnight Tuesday to voice their opinions on an ordinance that would change the minimum age of tobacco sales in the city. Not until 11:50 p.m., after lengthy discussion of a project at 50th and France, did Mayor Jim Hovland and Edina City Council members hear the public’s views on raising the age from 18 to 21 — an effort to curb teen tobacco use. (Zamora, 4/19)
San Francisco has unveiled a tough anti-tobacco ordinance that would ban the retail sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco or tobacco-related products that are often the first choice of minority group members and teenagers who smoke. Supervisor Malia Cohen, the proposal’s sponsor, joined Tuesday with public health experts and community advocates to announce the measure, which she said goes beyond more narrow laws on flavored tobacco in cities such as Chicago, Berkeley and New York. (Korry, 4/19)
A campaign that has successfully changed laws to limit the sale and purchase of nicotine products in 10 Johnson County cities will be considered on Thursday for unincorporated parts of the county. If it is approved, it will raise the legal age to buy nicotine products to 21. (Hammill, 4/18)
Electronic cigarettes and other so-called vaping products sold to Iowans on the internet would be regulated for the first time under a last-minute spending bill as the GOP majority strives toward adjournment of this year’s legislative session. Under the bill, sellers would be required to obtain a permit to sell the alternative nicotine products online. (Russell, 4/18)
