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Let's quit it with the kid-targeted flavored tobacco • Minnesota Reformer [1]

['Sena Geleto', 'Namad Khalif', 'More From Author', 'March']

Date: 2024-03-11  

What’s your favorite candy flavor? Did you know it’s likely available in vape form?

Minnesota is failing to protect its kids from tobacco addiction, and it all starts with flavored tobacco. Right now, there are more than 15,000 fruit, candy and other e-cigarette flavors on the market — products geared specifically toward young people — that are disproportionately impacting youth in underserved and marginalized communities.

As young people who are part of the East African community in Minnesota, we have seen firsthand how the predatory marketing of Big Tobacco on social media is causing more and more young people to become addicted to tobacco. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, more than 70% of youth e-cigarette users are showing signs of nicotine dependence, and 1 in 7 11th graders are using e-cigarettes.

It’s common to see elementary school-aged kids accessing flavored tobacco. In talking with friends and family, it’s clear the problem is only getting worse. This is intentional as Big Tobacco continues to find ways to appeal to youth, but it is also preventable — if legislators act this session.

Lawmakers have introduced bills in the House and Senate (HF2177/SF2123) to end the sale of all flavored commercial tobacco products in our state — a move that studies show is the number one way to combat youth addiction, and something many other communities have already enacted. If passed, it would help ensure the next generation of Minnesotans doesn’t fall for Big Tobacco’s candy-flavored marketing and become addicted to the leading cause of preventable death and disease worldwide.

As students, we have chosen to take time out of our studies at the University of Minnesota to advocate on this issue because we view it as social justice work. Ending the sale of flavored commercial tobacco products will reduce health disparities and improve equity. Our kids deserve better. Our communities deserve better. But the longer we wait, the worse it will get — and we can’t rely on education alone.

While Minnesota invests $12 million a year on tobacco use prevention and cessation, Big Tobacco spends $97.3 million a year targeting Minnesotans.

The time to act is now. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, data shows that nearly 10,000 Minnesota youth try cigarettes for the first time each year. We can’t wait another year and risk 10,000 more lives.

Legislators can make the choice to protect our kids.

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[1] Url: https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/03/11/lets-quit-it-with-the-kid-targeted-flavored-tobacco/

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