Minneapolis smokers to pay some of the highest cigarette prices in US with a $15 per-pack minimum

Smokers successful Minneapolis volition wage immoderate of the highest cigaret prices successful the state aft the City Council voted unanimously to enforce a minimum retail terms of $15 per battalion to beforehand nationalist health

MINNEAPOLIS -- Smokers successful Minneapolis volition wage immoderate of the highest cigaret prices successful the state aft the City Council voted unanimously Thursday to enforce a minimum retail terms of $15 per battalion to beforehand nationalist health.

The ordinance not lone sets a level price. It prevents smokers and retailers from getting astir it by prohibiting terms discounts and coupons, which respective baccy companies circulate online to lure customers and reenforce marque loyalty. The minimum terms besides applies to four-packs of cigars. Distribution of escaped samples is prohibited.

Consumer prices are expected to tally adjacent higher aft taxes are figured in. While retailers volition get to support the other wealth paid by smokers, the higher prices are expected to snuff retired astatine slightest immoderate of their sales. E-cigarettes, which person grown successful popularity, were near retired due to the fact that their prices alteration excessively widely.

The minimum terms volition beryllium effectual arsenic soon arsenic Mayor Jacob Frey signs the measure, which he's expected to bash wrong the adjacent fewer days.

Evalyn Carbrey, a elder nationalist wellness specializer with the city, said astatine a committee proceeding past week that unit probe indicates that Minneapolis’ minimum volition beryllium the highest successful the country. Staff determined that cigarettes typically had been selling successful Minneapolis for $11 to $13.50 a pack. The alteration puts Minneapolis up of New York City, which acceptable its minimum astatine $13 successful 2018.

“I’m excited that this assembly is taking this nationalist wellness situation earnestly due to the fact that that’s what it is,” said the writer of the ordinance, Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw.

Council President Andrea Jenkins said the terms of cigarettes was 1 crushed wherefore she discontinue smoking 8 years ago, and that she hopes the caller minimum volition promote much radical to halt oregon ne'er start.

“If you question astir the country, New York City — you can’t bargain your battalion of cigarettes for nether $18. Chicago, $17. Some places, Los Angeles, I deliberation they’re up to 20 bucks,” Jenkins said.

Penalties volition scope from a $500 good for a archetypal usurpation to licence suspensions and revocations for repetition offenders.

“If it helps adjacent 1 idiosyncratic halt utilizing tobacco, 1 idiosyncratic usage little tobacco, oregon 1 idiosyncratic stopped from starting baccy use, that’s worthy it to me,” Council Member Linea Palmisano said. “I cognize it’s casual for maine to beryllium up present and accidental that, arsenic a nonsmoker, but it’s the truth. The lone mode we’re going to interruption our dependence connected baccy is if we marque immoderate truly hard changes.”