$15 Cigarette Pack: Minneapolis Sets Minimum Sale Price

Tobacco will become more expensive in the US city of Minneapolis, following an ordinance adopted by the city council. This increase in the price of tobacco products was decided with a view to prevention, particularly in favor of minorities, who are more severely affected by smoking.

On April 25, a city council ordinance in Minnesota decided to raise the price of tobacco products, setting a minimum retail price of $15 for a pack of cigarettes, or about 14 euros. According to the council members who initiated the initiative, this is one of the highest minimum prices in the entire United States. The city also attacked the tobacco industry's advertising strategies, banning promotional practices, and increased penalties for points of sale that violate existing regulations.[1].

An effective measure to reduce smoking, especially among young people

The city council highlighted the effectiveness of price increase policies in reducing consumption and reducing smoking initiation. Thus, as highlighted in the scientific literature on tobacco taxation, an increase of 10% in the price of tobacco products reduces smoking by 3 to 5% among adults. Tax policies are also particularly effective on younger generations, who are more sensitive to the price argument, since the same increase reduces consumption among adolescents by 6 to 7%.

Community protection targeted by minimum sale price

In addition, the city council stressed that this ordinance could be particularly beneficial for minorities, who are more heavily impacted by smoking. Indeed, tobacco consumption data in the United States show strong disparities in smoking prevalence according to ethnic communities. Thus, according to the American Lung Association, the African-American and Native American communities have the highest smoking prevalence (16.8% and 21.9%), while the Asian community consumes relatively little tobacco (7% of adult smokers).[2]. These strong disparities are explained in particular by the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry, whose ethnic targeting practices have been well documented. Thus, the African-American community is the subject of a particularly aggressive targeting strategy by the tobacco industry for menthol leading to the fact that nearly 90% of African-American smokers consume menthol tobacco productsAs a result, menthol tobacco actively contributes to reinforcing health inequalities between communities, and is the cause of the premature death of more than 40,000 African-Americans per year.

Proactive policies to combat smoking

The ordinance setting a minimum sale price is part of a general policy to combat tobacco and nicotine products undertaken by the city. Thus, like Chicago, Washington DC, as well as the states of California and Massachusetts, Minneapolis has recently adopted restrictions on sale flavored e-cigarettes and manufactured menthol cigarettes. A few years ago, the city council banned the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21[3].

Keywords: Awards, Minneapolis

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[1] CBS News, Minneapolis City Council passes tobacco ordinance that sets $15 minimum price for cigarettes, 04/27/2024, (accessed 04/29/2024)

[2] American Lung Association, Tobacco Use in Racial and Ethnic Populations, (accessed 04/29/2018)

[3] CBS News, Minneapolis City Council Unanimously Raises Age To Buy Tobacco To 21, 05/25/2018, (accessed 04/29/2018)