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.� <br />EN HILLS <br />MEMORANDUM <br />DATF: May 14, 2012 <br />TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers <br />FROM: Patrick Klaers, City Administrator <br />SUBJECT: Tobacco Products Ordinance <br />Back�round/Discussion <br />The Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act of 2010 (TMCA) was passed by the <br />Minnesota State Legislature and signed by Governor Pawlenty. The law went into effect <br />on August l, 2010. One of the main accomplishments of this new law was that it updated <br />tobacco definitions to encompass products that have recently hit the market. <br />Ever since TMCA, Katie Engman, Ramsey Tobacco Coalition Program Director, has <br />been strongly encouraging the Ramsey County Sheriff s Department Contracted <br />Communities group to update their local ordinances. One of the purposes for the update <br />is to have the definitions in the City ordinance mirror the new state definitions. Another <br />purpose for the ordinance update is for the City to consider prohibiting the tasting or <br />sampling of tobacco products. <br />To assist Cities in updating their local ordinances, the League of MN Cities and the <br />Public Health Law Center collaborated in the development of a model tobacco licensing <br />ordinance. Cities had the option to use this model as a guide in updating their ordinance <br />or do a"delete all" and start over with an entirely new ordinance. Arden Hills has chosen <br />to simply use the model as a guide for updating the current ordinance. <br />Recently there has been a fair amount of publicity regarding tobacco shops and hookah <br />lounges. Tobacco tasting is allowed in tobacco shops per an exception to the MN Clean <br />Air Act. However, a City can be more restrictive than state law and prohibit tobacco <br />tasting or sampling in order to protect individuals from second-hand smoke. This is the <br />direction the updated Arden Hills ordinance talces. <br />City Council Meeting <br />P:�?,dmin\Council�Agendas & Packet Liformation\2012\OS-14-12 Reg Mtg�Packet Information\Tobacco Ordinance.doc <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />