St. Paul may ban 'loosies'...
St. Paul may ban sale of 'loosies'
Selling individual cigarettes instead of packs leads to more youth smoking, say backers of the proposed ordinance.
Myron P. Medcalf, Star Tribune
Last update: September 20, 2006 – 9:59
St. Paul is considering an ordinance that would ban the sale of individual cigarettes, commonly called "loosies," that come from a standard pack of 20.
City Council President Kathy Lantry, sponsor of the ordinance introduced Wednesday, said she has received multiple complaints from her constituents that the majority of single cigarettes sold are bought by minors.
She said research shows that communities where individual cigarettes are peddled have higher smoking rates among young people.
"I get a lot of complaints in my office," she said at Wednesday's meeting.
Federal law prohibits the sale of cigarettes without the surgeon general's warning label, but no state or local law exists that specifically addresses the sale of single cigarettes.
Other Minnesota cities have addressed individual cigarette sales through local laws, which typically are easier to enforce than state and federal laws.
The sale of loosies most often attracts the poor and minors, said Jeanne Weigum, executive director of the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota, which helped write the proposed ordinance.
Weigum said she suspects that the problem isn't widespread in St. Paul, but added: "It's vulnerable people who are going and buying one or two cigarettes."
Tobacco retailers who follow the federal law don't want to get lumped in with those who are breaking it by selling single cigarettes, said Tom Briant, director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets, based in Minneapolis. He said members of his organization don't sell cigarettes illegally.
"Why people would do that, I'm not sure," he said of those selling loosies. "It's not appropriate or legal."
Kristina Schweinler, a St. Paul senior licensing inspector, said that some smaller retailers are suspected of opening packs and selling singles.
"There's a health concern if cigarettes aren't wrapped and packaged," she said.
Doug Blanke, director of the Tobacco Law Center at William Mitchell College of Law, said that a study conducted in California in the early 1990s showed that more than half of the surveyed tobacco retailers in that state were selling cigarettes individually. He said the study also showed that the sales were more prevalent in nonwhite neighborhoods.
Blanke also mentioned a World Health Organization treaty, not ratified by the United States, that encourages the banning of individual cigarette sales to curb smoking among minors.
Such an ordinance would be supervised by licensing officials who would call upon police to investigate any potential violations, said St. Paul police spokesman Tom Walsh. Police officials aren't aware that the sale of individual cigarettes is a big problem, he said.
A public hearing on the ordinance will be held
in a few weeks.
Staff writer Howie Padilla contributed to this report.
Myron P. Medcalf • 651-298-1546 • mmedcalf@startribune.com
Bob> I see this on two levels. First of all there is alot of homeless street people who can only afford a single cigarette or cigar. There is also alot of low income people in general who can only afford a single.
Secondly, we have laws that prohibit minors from buying tobacco products, enforce the law and stop going after small business profits and a class of people who can't defend themselves.
Selling individual cigarettes instead of packs leads to more youth smoking, say backers of the proposed ordinance.
Myron P. Medcalf, Star Tribune
Last update: September 20, 2006 – 9:59
St. Paul is considering an ordinance that would ban the sale of individual cigarettes, commonly called "loosies," that come from a standard pack of 20.
City Council President Kathy Lantry, sponsor of the ordinance introduced Wednesday, said she has received multiple complaints from her constituents that the majority of single cigarettes sold are bought by minors.
She said research shows that communities where individual cigarettes are peddled have higher smoking rates among young people.
"I get a lot of complaints in my office," she said at Wednesday's meeting.
Federal law prohibits the sale of cigarettes without the surgeon general's warning label, but no state or local law exists that specifically addresses the sale of single cigarettes.
Other Minnesota cities have addressed individual cigarette sales through local laws, which typically are easier to enforce than state and federal laws.
The sale of loosies most often attracts the poor and minors, said Jeanne Weigum, executive director of the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota, which helped write the proposed ordinance.
Weigum said she suspects that the problem isn't widespread in St. Paul, but added: "It's vulnerable people who are going and buying one or two cigarettes."
Tobacco retailers who follow the federal law don't want to get lumped in with those who are breaking it by selling single cigarettes, said Tom Briant, director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets, based in Minneapolis. He said members of his organization don't sell cigarettes illegally.
"Why people would do that, I'm not sure," he said of those selling loosies. "It's not appropriate or legal."
Kristina Schweinler, a St. Paul senior licensing inspector, said that some smaller retailers are suspected of opening packs and selling singles.
"There's a health concern if cigarettes aren't wrapped and packaged," she said.
Doug Blanke, director of the Tobacco Law Center at William Mitchell College of Law, said that a study conducted in California in the early 1990s showed that more than half of the surveyed tobacco retailers in that state were selling cigarettes individually. He said the study also showed that the sales were more prevalent in nonwhite neighborhoods.
Blanke also mentioned a World Health Organization treaty, not ratified by the United States, that encourages the banning of individual cigarette sales to curb smoking among minors.
Such an ordinance would be supervised by licensing officials who would call upon police to investigate any potential violations, said St. Paul police spokesman Tom Walsh. Police officials aren't aware that the sale of individual cigarettes is a big problem, he said.
A public hearing on the ordinance will be held
in a few weeks.
Staff writer Howie Padilla contributed to this report.
Myron P. Medcalf • 651-298-1546 • mmedcalf@startribune.com
Bob> I see this on two levels. First of all there is alot of homeless street people who can only afford a single cigarette or cigar. There is also alot of low income people in general who can only afford a single.
Secondly, we have laws that prohibit minors from buying tobacco products, enforce the law and stop going after small business profits and a class of people who can't defend themselves.
posted by Bob at Friday, September 22, 2006
9 Comments:
St. Paul is abbout nothing but control control control!
Jeanne Weigum. The same Jeanne entrenched in democrat politics? Hmmm!
Is she the same Jeanne who sat on the neighborhood committee concerning the condemnation and hoped for demolishion of 175 N. Fairview? Hmmm!
This is why we need the average Joe attending these neighborhood committees. A small number of citizens claim to represent us all.
Examine the neighborhood committees. They are made up of people who feel some self worth in participating in their community.
The average Joe goes to one of these meetings once in a blue moon over a single issue of concern. In the meantime the steady participants speak for all of us, and most of the time we aren't even aware of whats going on around us.
These consistent participants involved in the City's affairs are sometime called upon to do City Halls bidding.
Example- I think if we done a door to door petition on the smoking ban, we would be surprised to see, people feel it should be lifted.
So is this what St.Paul needs the extra 100 or so officers for this BIG crime ring selling individual cigs to people that can't afford a whole pack. I would hope a city could find better crimes and issues to deal with then this. The crime must be down so low they have nothing better to do with there time. Also how much is it going to cost the tax payers for this brainstorm? Everyday when I read about St.Paul it makes me feel more releived that I was forced out of that city.(Guess it was a blessing in a big disguise)
Nancy (formerly of St.Paul)
So what are you saying 2:15....you want us to believe that the City Coucnil has some "sleeper cells" waiting in the neighborhoods to do their dirty work?
10:07- NOPE, don't believe it's sleeper cells. Just well intended citizens doing what they think is right. Doesn't mean they speak for all of us.
The city does have sleeper cells I think. They keep them up on White Bear Ave. Whenever they need a "job" done on someone, they send them out.
1;02 must be talking about the DEMOLISION GANG.
Next they will be telling these stores they can't sell rolling papers. Kids might buy them and roll joints!
No they will condemn and demolish these stores next. The city finds it much easier to bring in a bulldozer than to deal with the issues at hand. The city acts just like some of the violent gangs, if its in your way knock it down, if you don't like the way it looks knock it down. The city uses bulldozers and gangs use guns. Maybe the gangs have learned their methods from the city official gang members.
Nancy (formerly of St.Paul)
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