Preventing initiation among youth and young adults

Commercial tobacco use is a persistent challenge due to aggressive marketing by tobacco companies. These companies spend billions of dollars every year on advertising, primarily at points of sale (store checkouts), and continue to expose youth to smoking imagery across various media platforms. Research demonstrates a direct link between this marketing and youth tobacco initiation. New products like e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, with their own marketing strategies, also add to the complexity of commercial tobacco control efforts. Effective prevention requires a multi-faceted approach, including statewide and community programs, policies, and mass media campaigns.

Communities across the state are working to keep youth from starting by:

• Raising the minimum tobacco sales age to 21 and removing purchase, use, and possession penalties.
• Restricting the sale of menthol and flavored products.
• Increasing product prices.
• Promoting smoke- and commercial-tobacco-free environments.
• Engaging youth as essential partners.

These initiatives aim to shift societal norms towards commercial tobacco-free living, and prioritizing youth and young adults is essential, as most people who use commercial tobacco begin before the age of 26.

Data briefs

• SHIP supports local Tobacco 21 policies, helping to reduce youth commercial tobacco use (PDF)
• Minnesota Teens Vape Sweet and Minty Flavors (PDF)
• Minnesota Teens Prefer Commercial Tobacco Products with Flavors (PDF)

Stories from the field

• Youth Voices are Powering Tobacco Law Changes (July 2018)

Learn more

• Youth E-cigarette Prevention and Cessation Initiative
• Tobacco 21: Health Impacts of Raising the Minimum Tobacco Sale Age
• The Positive Health Impacts of Raising Tobacco Taxes in Minnesota
• E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General (2016)
• Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General (2012)
• Smoking and Tobacco Use: Best Practices User Guide – Youth Engagement

Promoting quitting among adults and youth

Quitting commercial tobacco use has health benefits at any age, no matter how long or how much someone has used commercial tobacco. Most people who use commercial tobacco want to quit, but quitting can be hard. That’s because commercial tobacco products, like cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and chew contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug found naturally in tobacco. 

There are proven treatments that can help people quit using commercial tobacco. These treatments include counseling, FDA-approved medications, web-based programs and text messaging programs. Free help is available to all Minnesotans through Quit Partner, Minnesota’s family of programs to help people who use commercial tobacco quit. Many health insurance companies also provide commercial tobacco treatment services to their members. 

Public health and health care providers play an important role in helping people who use commercial tobacco. One way to help is to ask whether a person uses commercial tobacco, provide brief advice about why it’s important to quit, ask if the individual is interested in trying to quit, either providing or referring for treatment, and following up to see how things are going. Every quit attempt is a step closer to quitting for good. 

Minnesota communities are working help people quit by:

• Promoting health systems change by institutionalizing commercial tobacco use treatment as routine clinical care
• Expanding the availability of commercial tobacco use treatment and reducing barriers to access
• Promoting free help through services like Quit Partner

Data briefs

• Downward Trend in Adult Cigarette Smoking Continues (PDF)

Stories from the field

• Online Provider Training will Deliver Quit Services to More People with Mental Illness (April 2018)
• Helping Smokers Reduce Stress of Poverty Is Key to Quitting (March 2018)
• Latino Culture Informs Effort at CLUES to Help Smokers Quit (February 2018)

Learn more

• Commercial Tobacco Use – Helping People Quit
  Tools for community partners, providers, and other health workers
• Free Help for Minnesotans Who Want to Quit
• Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General (2020)
• Smoking and Tobacco Use: Best Practices User Guide - Cessation

Eliminating secondhand smoke and aerosol exposure

Secondhand smoke is exhaled by a person who is smoking. It also comes from the lit end of commercial tobacco products, like cigarettes and cigars. Secondhand smoke is a dangerous mixture of over 7,000 chemicals, including 70 that cause cancer. Secondhand smoke causes early death and disease in both children and adults who do not smoke. It increases risk for heart attacks, heart disease and stroke, and lung cancer. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure.

Secondhand aerosol is exhaled by a person who is vaping (using e-cigarettes). Secondhand aerosol can contain harmful substances, including some that may cause cancer and other health problems, like ultra-fine particles, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, and heavy metals.

Minnesota communities are bringing cleaner, safer air to residents by:

• Creating commercial tobacco-free public spaces and workplaces
• Working with local property managers to implement smoke-free housing policies
• Encouraging people who use commercial tobacco to eliminate smoking and vaping in their homes and cars, or by quitting altogether

Data briefs

• Tobacco Use and Asthma (PDF) (August 2019)
• Smoking and Vaping around Youth who have Asthma (PDF) (August 2019)
• Report: Smoke-free Housing Policies – Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) Evaluation Study

Learn more

• Secondhand Smoke and Aerosol
• Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act
• Live Smoke Free
  Tools to help people find solutions for secondhand smoke exposure in their apartments
• Smoke-Free, Tobacco-Free Places: Housing
• The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General (2006)

Identifying and eliminating tobacco-related disparities

Despite overall declines in commercial tobacco use among Minnesotans, many communities still suffer disproportionately from commercial tobacco use death and disease. Commercial tobacco-related disparities are created and affected by a complex mix of factors. Social determinants of health, tobacco industry influence, a lack of comprehensive commercial tobacco control policies, and changing community populations can contribute to and maintain these disparities.

Data briefs

• The Hidden Harms of Menthol: Ending the Legal Sales of Menthol Commercial Tobacco Products would Advance Health Equity in Minnesota (PDF)
• Teen Tobacco Use in Rural Minnesota (PDF)

Stories from the field

• AICS Community Educators Overcoming the Taboo of Addiction (October 2021)
• CLUES Empowers Underserved Latino Groups to be Healthy (October 2021)
• Tobacco-Free Alliance Mobilizes Change Agents in St. Paul Area (May 2021)
• Community at the Heart of Commercial Tobacco Prevention (February 2021)
• Leadership Challenges Enhance On-the-Ground Tobacco Prevention (October 2020)
• Champion for LGBTQ Health Sees Progress (May 2020)
• Keep Traditions Alive. Keep Tobacco Sacred. (April 2020)
• Cultural Connections Help Somalis Become Tobacco-Free (November 2019)
• Traditional Tobacco Use Connects Native Youth to Culture, Community, and Health (May 2019)
• Community Education: A Powerful Strategy for Reversing Tobacco Trends (February 2019)
• Three Counties Partner for Tobacco-Free Communities (December 2018)
• Trusted Group is Shifting Hmong Cultural Practices around Tobacco Use (September 2018)
• Youth Voices are Powering Tobacco Law Changes (July 2018)
• Shift MN: An LGBTQ Advocate against Commercial Tobacco Use (May 2018)

Learn more

• Smoking and Tobacco Use: Best Practices User Guide: Health Equity
• Smoking and Tobacco Use: Best Practices – Tobacco Where You Live: Native Communities

Commercial Tobacco-Free Communities Grant Program

The Commercial Tobacco-Free Communities Grant Program funds local community grants and technical assistance and training that aims to reduce and prevent youth commercial tobacco use and address commercial tobacco-related disparities in Minnesota by promoting community-driven prevention and cessation activities and strategies.

Learn more: Commercial Tobacco-Free Communities Grant Program

Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP)

The Statewide Health Improvement Partnership supports community-driven solutions to expand opportunities for active living, healthy eating, and commercial tobacco-free living.

Learn more: Statewide Health Improvement Partnership

Tribal SHIP and Tribal Tobacco Grants

The Tribal Grants Program provides opportunities for tribal communities to carry out culturally driven healthy eating, active living and commercial tobacco prevention strategies, while increasing access to and educating about the healing effects of traditional tobacco. The work is integrated in traditional activities, teachings and ceremonies.

Learn more

• Tribal SHIP and Tribal Tobacco Grants
• Traditional Tobacco and American Indian Communities in Minnesota

Youth E-cigarette Prevention and Cessation Initiative

The 2021 Minnesota Legislature appropriated funds for the Minnesota Department of Health to administer a new initiative to address youth e-cigarette and other commercial tobacco product use and cessation. The initiative includes community grants, statewide technical assistance and training, a coordinated counter-marketing campaign, and surveillance and evaluation. The overall goal of this initiative is to reduce youth e-cigarette and commercial tobacco use in Minnesota by 25 percent by 2026.

Learn more: Youth E-cigarette Prevention and Cessation Initiative

Quit Partner™ Ambassadors Grant Program

The Quit Partner Ambassadors Grant Program funds local community organizations to increase awareness and knowledge of Quit Partner programs in communities that are disproportionately impacted by commercial tobacco and may have been targeted by the tobacco industry.

Learn more

• Quit Partner Ambassadors Grant Program
• Quit PartnerTM