Commercial Tobacco Use

Commercial tobacco use like smoking, using chew, or vaping, kills over 6,530 Minnesotans every year and costs Minnesota $4.7 billion annually in medical costs. Commercial tobacco use is the single greatest preventable cause of death and disease in Minnesota. And while the state’s overall smoking rates are below national averages, some Minnesota communities suffer more than others from commercial tobacco-related death and disease.

Learn more: Reducing the cost of smoking in Minnesota

Commercial tobacco products are tobacco products manufactured and sold by the tobacco industry, like cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and chew. Commercial tobacco is different from traditional or sacred tobacco, also known as Cansasa, Asemaa, or Kinnikinnick, and which are used by American Indian communities for sacred purposes.

Free help to quit

Most people who use commercial tobacco want to quit, but quitting can be hard. Commercial tobacco products contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. But there’s good news - free help is available to all Minnesotans, and people who use phone coaching and quit medications are twice as likely to quit for good.

Learn more: Get Help Quitting

Prevention and treatment

We're working to reduce commercial tobacco's harm by:

• Reducing youth access to commercial tobacco.
• Reducing secondhand smoke exposure.
• Increasing access to cessation resources.
• Addressing commercial tobacco-related disparities.

The Minnesota Comprehensive Tobacco Control Framework, 2022-2026 lays out an ambitious path to address commercial tobacco use. It serves as a guide for partners in Minnesota’s commercial tobacco prevention and control efforts and provides a roadmap for commercial tobacco prevention work in the future. 

Learn more: Minnesota Comprehensive Tobacco Control Framework, 2022-2026 (PDF)