Because the city recognizes that many persons under the age of eighteen (18) years
purchase or otherwise obtain, possess, and use tobacco, tobacco products, tobacco-related,
and nicotine or lobelia delivery devices, and the sales, possession, and use are violations
of both state and federal laws; and because studies, which the city hereby accepts
and adopts, have shown that most smokers begin smoking before they have reached the
age of eighteen (18) years and that those persons who reach the age of eighteen (18)
years without having started smoking are significantly less likely to begin smoking;
and because smoking has been shown to be the cause of several serious health problems
which subsequently place a financial burden on all levels of government, this article
shall be intended to regulate the sale, possession, and use of tobacco, tobacco products,
tobacco-related devices, and nicotine or lobelia delivery devices for the purpose
of enforcing and furthering existing laws, to protect minors against the serious effects
associated with the illegal use of tobacco, tobacco products, tobacco-related devices,
and nicotine or lobelia delivery devices, and to further the official public policy
of the state in regard to preventing young people from starting to smoke as stated
in Minnesota Statutes, Section 144.391, as it may be amended from time to time. In
making these findings, the city council accepts the conclusions and recommendations
of the Center for Disease Control in its study entitled "Selected Cigarette Smoking
Initiation and Quitting Behaviors Among High School Students, United States, 1997,"
and of the following medical professionals in these medical journals: Khuder S.A.,
et al., "Age at Smoking Onset and its Effect on Smoking Cessation," Addictive Behavior
24 (5): 673-7, September-October 1999; D'Avanzo B., et al., "Age at Starting Smoking
and Number of Cigarettes Smoked," Annals of Epidemiology 4 (6): 455-59, November 1994;
Chen, J. & Millar, W.J., "Age of Smoking Initiation: Implications for Quitting," Health
Reports 9 (4): 39-46, Spring 1998; Everett S.A., et al., "Initiation of Cigarette
Smoking and Subsequent Smoking Behavior Among U.S. High School Students," Preventative
Medicine, 29 (5): 327-33, November 1999, copies of which are adopted by reference.
