In a much anticipated City Council meeting, Edina residents waited till almost midnight Tuesday to voice their opinions on an ordinance that would change the minimum age of tobacco sales in the city.
Not until 11:50 p.m., after lengthy discussion of a project at 50th and France, did Mayor Jim Hovland and Edina City Council members hear the public's views on raising the age from 18 to 21 — an effort to curb teen tobacco use.
The council unanimously approved the first reading of the ordinance shortly after midnight Wednesday. If it approves the second reading at its next meeting on May 2, Edina will become the first city in Minnesota to require tobacco purchasers to be 21. The new law would go into effect 60 days after the May vote.
Several Edina High School students said their peers use tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes.
One Edina High School student said she saw an 18-year-old student buy cigarettes for a 17-year-old. For some, buying tobacco products on their 18th birthday is a rite of passage, another student said.
Several people mentioned loved ones who began smoking at a young age and later died of lung cancer.
According to the proposed ordinance, Edina would raise the purchasing age for all tobacco-related products, including cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes. The penalties for selling tobacco to those under the age limit would remain the same.
Dr. Caleb Schultz, of the city's Community Health Commission, recommended raising the age during a March council meeting. Schultz said the commission was spurred by Tobacco 21, a national campaign to raise the buying age.
