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Public Health Promotion

Local commercial tobacco regulation efforts gain momentum

Commercial tobacco is still a big problem

Hennepin County Public Health is partnering with communities to adopt policies that safeguard youth by reducing access to flavored commercial tobacco — and those efforts are working.

Commercial tobacco still is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Cigarette smoking rates continue to decrease over time, largely because of the work of focused, decades-long public health campaigns. The tobacco and nicotine industry now uses flavored nicotine products like vapes, cigars, and pouches to hook the next generation on its products.

The most recent Minnesota Student Survey (MSS) data from 2025 show that vape use peaked in 2019 and has declined since. In 2025, 6% of Hennepin County 11th grade students vaped. Among them, 83% reported using flavored products. Flavored products are the main driver of youth commercial tobacco use. They mask the inherent harshness of smoke or aerosol when a person inhales, and the abundance of flavors encourages youth to continue trying new flavors.

Additionally, youth who vape are becoming more dependent on nicotine. Data from the 2023 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey showed that 79.6% of students who vaped in 2023 reported one or more signs of dependence. That is an increase from 70.4% in 2020. Two out of three youth who use commercial tobacco have attempted to quit at least once in the past year, with one in eight users attempting to quit at least 10 times.

This is a major public health concern because, in addition to the many physical health risks that increase because of nicotine products, there is a strong relationship between youth exposure to nicotine and mental health challenges. These include depression, anxiety, and increased stress.

Local commercial tobacco regulation efforts are gaining momentum

Partnerships with local communities — which often license tobacco retailers — are important to protecting youth. The most impactful local tobacco regulations are comprehensive sales prohibitions of flavored commercial tobacco products, as flavors are the primary driver of youth use and dependence. Ending the sale of these products within a city reduces both the appeal and accessibility of commercial tobacco to youth.

Beginning with Minneapolis in 2015, 10 Hennepin County cities have now addressed the sale of flavored commercial tobacco products in some way, with five cities prohibiting all flavored commercial tobacco sales: Edina, Bloomington, Richfield, Golden Valley, and Plymouth.

Momentum for local commercial tobacco policy changes has increased in 2026. In April, Plymouth became the latest Hennepin County city to end the sale of flavored commercial tobacco by passing a comprehensive tobacco ordinance update.

Plymouth City Councilmember Joel Spoonheim championed the effort in Plymouth, stating at the April 28 council meeting that “nicotine…is addictive. It increases mental health issues, anxiety and depression, especially when introduced to young people before age 25 when the brain finishes forming. It creates lifelong issues…We can be part of the solution in our region.”

Several council members stated at the meeting that they were particularly moved by the voices of many students in the community who showed up to express their support for restricting access to flavored products. “Tobacco doesn’t draw kids in, flavors do,” Shivam Srivastava, a local high school sophomore told council members. “Flavored tobacco makes it easier to start and harder to quit, and it’s targeting kids my age, and kids much, much younger.”

This is true according to the U.S. Surgeon General: “flavors play a key role in commercial tobacco use. Because flavors are particularly appealing to young people, eliminating flavors in commercial tobacco products is expected to lead to reduction in commercial tobacco use and commercial tobacco-related health disparities.”

group photo of people inside

Students and community members celebrate in Plymouth following adoption of the city’s ordinance restricting flavored tobacco.

Several other Hennepin County cities could soon follow Plymouth’s lead. Policymakers in Brooklyn Park, Crystal, and Orono are currently considering policy changes in the near future.

The map shows all the communities in Hennepin County that have enacted a flavored commercial tobacco policy (PDF, 1MB).

Hennepin County’s role in local tobacco regulation

Hennepin County supports local communities with commercial tobacco regulation in several ways. The county provides city staff and policymakers with up-to-date information on commercial tobacco products and industry tactics, local and regional data on use rates and retail sales, and best-practice, evidence-based policy options to consider. Throughout the adoption and implementation process, the county provides consultation and resources to help cities ensure their commercial tobacco policies are strong and effective.

Our partners at the Public Health Law Center (PHLC) and the Association for Nonsmokers- Minnesota (ANSR) are indispensable in this work. PHLC provides model ordinance language and consultation for cities that are interested in making changes to their commercial tobacco policies. They also provide legal resources and fact sheets to guide policy development.

ANSR is instrumental in grassroots-organizing and harnessing the passion of community members, especially youth, to advocate for local policy changes. ANSR also helps Hennepin County Public Health in providing local elected officials with information and presentations about commercial tobacco policy and how flavored tobacco is the biggest draw for youth.

This work relies on community partnerships, with various organizations using their strengths and working together towards the end goal of creating communities free from the harms of commercial tobacco. Thank you to these additional partners: Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth, myHealth Teen Clinic, Northpoint Health & Wellness, the Orono Coalition, Sierra Leone Community in Minnesota, and Tobacco-Free Alliance.

If your community is interested in learning more about commercial tobacco in Hennepin County, contact Jackie Siewert at jacquelyn.siewert@hennepin.us.

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