The city-wide ban on flavoured vaping products, says the local business, may force it to close its Moorhead headquarters. “Our business model is not based on losing 55% of our sales so economically, it makes no sense to keep this location open,” said Northland Vapor owner Brad Erpelding.
A recent study issued by the state’s health department, has indicated that one in five Minnesota high school students are using e-cigarettes. The 2020 Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey has also indicated that 70% of high school and middle school vapers, are showing signs of nicotine dependence. The survey is conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health to provide information about young people’s commercial tobacco use and design and evaluate prevention efforts.
There was no significant increase in vaping between 2017 to 2020
The data has indicated that four in five Minnesota students reported that the first tobacco product they ever tried was flavoured. Overall tobacco use has declined, with 20.5% of high school and 4.1% of middle school students having used a tobacco product in the past 30 days, compared to 26.4% and 5.2% in 2017.
Vaping banned in public spaces
In 2019, a statewide law banning the use of electronic cigarettes in most public places, including restaurants, bars and almost all indoor workplaces and public spaces, went into effect. Bill author Rep. Laurie Halverson, DFL-Eagan, said that the aim of this legislation would be to ensure that all Minnesotans can breathe clean air in public places. The Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation, are in support of the bill and hope it will get a hearing in the Senate.
While the following December, the federal government increased the tobacco age limit from 18 to 21. Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, who had long been advocating for the age limit increase, said that the main goal of this measure was to prevent teen vaping and subsequent nicotine addiction. Research has in fact indicated that younger brains are more susceptible to addiction.
Read Further: Inforum
