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Attachment F <br />January19,2021 <br />RosevilleCityCouncil <br />2660CivicCenterDrive <br />Roseville,MN55113 <br />DearMembersoftheRosevilleCityCouncil: <br />AsrepresentativesofHmongAmericanPartnership(HAP),wearewritingtoexpressourstrongsupport <br />ofeliminatingallflavoredandmentholtobaccoproductsinRoseville. <br />HAPisanonprofitorganizationthatfocusesonmovingourdiversecommunityfrompovertyto <br />prosperity.Embeddedinourworkistheknowledgethatahealthycommunityisaprosperous <br />community.Forthelastfiveyears,wehavebeenworkingtochangeattitudesandpracticesof <br />commercialtobaccouseinourcommunity. <br />Today,thereisanepidemicofyouthecigaretteuseinourcountry.Ecigarettesuseispopularamong <br />youthasyoungasmiddleschoolerstocollegestudents.7in10youthsaytheyuseecigarettesͻĬĻĭğǒƭĻ <br />theycomeinflavors\[they\]ƌźƉĻ͵ͼThesetobaccoproductscomeinavarietyofflavorssuchasmint,candy, <br />andchocolate,andareuniquelyattractivetoyouth.Thecandytastemaskstheharshflavoroftobacco, <br />buttheyarejustasaddictiveandharmfulasnonflavoredtobaccoproducts. <br />Furthermore,thetobaccoindustryhasstrategicallytargetedcommunitiesofcolorwithmenthol <br />cigarettesforyears.AsurveyconductedinRamseyCountyfoundthatmentholtobaccoadvertisingwas <br />gherconcentrationsofAsianAmericans,othercommunitiesof <br />morecommoninneighborhoodswithhi <br />color,lowincome,andyouthresidents.AccordingtotheMinnesotaYouthTobaccoSurveyin2017,34% <br />ofMinnesotayouthsmokersusedmentholtobacco.Mentholtobaccoiseasiertostartandstudiesalso <br />foundthatitisalsohardertoquit. <br />TheCityofRosevilleiscommittedtoaddressingracialandhealthequity.WeencouragetheRoseville <br />CityCounciltoconsidermeaningfulactiontoprotectouryouthfromthesedeadlycommercialproducts. <br />Thankyouforyourconsideration. <br />Sincerely, <br />BaoVangHliXyoojPaDeeVue <br />President&CEOHealth&WellnessDirectorTobaccoPreventionCoordinator <br /> <br />