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Attachment F 1406 Sixth Ave. North St. Cloud, MN 56303 FeelingGoodMN.org November 3,2020 City of Roseville 2660 Civic Center Drive Roseville, MN 55113 Dear Mayor Roe and Members of the Roseville City Council, On behalf ofFeeling Good MN,acommunity collaborative powered byCentraCare focused on improving health and wellness in Central Minnesota, Istrongly support your efforts torestrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products. Flavored tobacco products are a key reason Minnesota is facing a youth nicotine epidemic. Flavored products mask the harshness of tobacco butare just as addictive and dangerous as other tobacco products. Some of these flavors include chocolate, apple, grape, mango, cotton candy, berry, mint/menthol and wintergreen. According to th the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey, 20.5% of Roseville School District 9graders used e-cigarettesin the last 30 th days. This is higher than the statewide average for 9graders, which is 16.4%. The survey results found that th 21.2% of Roseville School District 11graders reported using e-cigarettes in the last 30 days, which is an 11% increase from 2016. The tobacco industry has a long history of targeting youth with their products. Tobacco executives admitted to th these intentions in emails and industry documents throughout the late 20century. Now, the industry is craftier, but their intentions are still clear. The tobacco industry uses countless flavors to appeal to teens, ultimately leading to addiction. In fact, 80% of youth who use tobacco use fruit, candy,or menthol flavored products. Weak federal rules still allow the tobacco industry to use kid-friendly menthol, candy,and fruit flavors to attract the next generation of tobacco users. The FDA banned flavored cigarettes other than menthol in 2009, but the ban does not affect other tobacco products. The FDA issued a ruling in February 2020 that left thousands of appealing flavored products like mint/menthol, mango, and grape on the market. This ordinance would be closing these loopholes. We also encourage you to continue to include menthol, mint, and wintergreen flavors in your flavor restriction. Menthol masks the harshness of tobacco smoke, making it easier to inhale and harder to quit. The tobacco industry has spent decades marketing menthol to the African American community. These tactics have created disparities among those who smoke menthol: 88% of Black smokers use menthol cigarettes compared to 25% of white smokers. The city of Roseville must address flavored tobacco. Restricting the sales of all flavored tobacco products will reduce the availability and appeal which will lead to reduced tobacco initiation and use among youth as well as help reduce health disparities. We cannot wait for the state or federal government when we have the opportunity to protect our community now. Sincerely, Jodi Gertken Community Wellness Program Director