Smokers in Minneapolis will pay some of the highest cigarette prices in the country after the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously Thursday to impose a minimum retail price of $15 per pack to promote public health. Become.
This ordinance does more than just set minimum prices. It prevents smokers and retailers from getting around this problem by banning price discounts and coupons that several tobacco companies distribute online to lure customers and strengthen brand loyalty. . Lowest price also applies to 4-packs of cigars. Distribution of free samples is prohibited.
Consumer prices are expected to rise further when taxes are taken into account. Retailers can keep the extra money smokers pay, but expect to lose at least some of their sales due to higher prices. E-cigarettes, which are increasingly popular, were excluded because their prices vary too widely.
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The minimum price will go into effect as soon as Mayor Jacob Frey signs the bill, which he expects to do within the next few days.
Evalyn Carbly, the city’s senior public health expert, said at a committee hearing last week that a staff survey shows Minneapolis’ minimum standards would be among the highest in the country. Staff determined that cigarettes typically sold for between $11 and $13.50 per pack in Minneapolis. This change would put Minneapolis ahead of New York City, which set a $13 minimum in 2018.
This July 29, 2013 photo shows a case of freshly stamped Marlboro cigarette cartons at M. Amandson Cigar & Candy Company in Minneapolis. Smokers in Minneapolis will face some of the highest cigarette prices in the country after the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously Thursday, April 25, 2024, to impose a minimum retail price of $15 per pack to promote public health. You will have to pay a portion. (Mark Zdekulik/Minnesota Public Radio, via AP, File)
“I’m thrilled that this City Council is taking this public health crisis seriously, because it is what it is,” said City Councilor LaTrisha Veto, the author of the ordinance.
Council President Andrea Jenkins said the price of cigarettes was one of the reasons people quit smoking eight years ago, and the new minimum standard will encourage more people to quit smoking or not start at all. He said he was looking forward to it.
“When you travel around the country, like New York City, you can’t buy a pack of cigarettes for less than $18. In Chicago, it’s $17. I think in some places, like Los Angeles, it’s up to $20,” Jenkins said.
Penalties range from a $500 fine for a first offense to license suspension or revocation for repeat offenses.
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“If I can help one person stop using tobacco, or help one person use less tobacco, or help one person stop using tobacco, then it’s worth it to me,” said City Councilwoman Linnea Palmisano. said. “As a non-smoker, I know it’s easy to sit here and say that, but this is the truth: The only way to break your addiction to cigarettes is to make some really tough changes.”
