
The mission of ClearWay Minnesota is to enhance life in Minnesota by reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke through research, action and collaboration. We were created in 1998 and entrusted with overseeing 3 percent of the state’s tobacco settlement funds. We operate under the ongoing jurisdiction of the Ramsey County District Court.
We use our portion of the settlement to help Minnesotans quit smoking and tobacco use,
and to fund tobacco-related research, programs and initiatives around the state. We work to raise people’s awareness of the dangers of tobacco and to make Minnesota a healthier place.
and to fund tobacco-related research, programs and initiatives around the state. We work to raise people’s awareness of the dangers of tobacco and to make Minnesota a healthier place.
2015: The Minnesota adult smoking rate has fallen to 14.4 percent – the lowest in history
Our History
In 1994, the state of Minnesota joined with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota to bring a lawsuit against the tobacco companies. The suit accused the industry of deceiving Minnesotans about the harmful nature of their products. The case uncovered tens of thousands of secret documents revealing what the tobacco companies had hidden about the link between cigarettes and cancer, the addictiveness of nicotine and other inherent dangers of tobacco.
In May 1998, the tobacco companies settled, with the state receiving $6.1 billion in a settlement agreement and Blue Cross receiving $469 million. In August of that same year, the Ramsey County District Court approved the state’s plan to administer 3 percent of the settlement through a new independent nonprofit tobacco control organization: ClearWay Minnesota.

Milestones


September 1998
Our Board holds their first meeting, opened by honorary co-chairs Dr. C. Everett Koop and Dr. David Kessler.Read more


April 1999
Field work begins for the first Minnesota Adult Tobacco Study (MATS), examining tobacco-related behaviors and perceptions.Read more




MAY 2001
We launch QUITPLAN® Services, providing quit-smoking services to Minnesotans free of charge.Read more



August 2006
We introduce a new statewide call center that will quickly route any Minnesotan to quit-smoking help.Read more


January 2007
The number of Minnesotans who used QUITPLAN Services to quit passes the 10,000 mark.Read more


MAY 2007
The Freedom to Breathe Act, a strong statewide smoke-free law, is passed by the Minnesota Legislature and signed into law by Governor Tim Pawlenty.Read more



NOVEMBER 2008
A Minnesota woman who quit smoking wins $5,000 in our quit-smoking contest, The QuitCash ChallengeTMRead more


February 2011
A new Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey finds that Minnesota's adult smoking rate has fallen to 16.1 percent - the lowest in history.Read more


November 2011
A Mayo Clinic study, funded by ClearWay Minnesota, finds substantial decreases in heart attacks after smoke-free policies took effect.Read more


November 2012
ClearWay Minnesota research finds that tobacco price increases are the largest driver of smoking declines in Minnesota.Read more




July 2014
A new law prohibiting smoking in foster homes and restricting e-cigarette sales and use takes effect.Read more


January 2015
The Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (2014) finds smoking prevalence in Minnesota has fallen to 14.4 percent.Read more
