This week, Minnesota lawmakers headed home to their districts for the traditional Easter/Passover break. When they return, they will be making final decisions on a number of bills affecting tobacco. Here’s what remains to be discussed.

TOBACCO PRICES

Both the Minnesota Senate and House have passed their tax bills, but the two bills are not in perfect alignment on tobacco taxes. The House bill includes tax cuts that benefit the tobacco industry, including a price cut and expanded definition for “premium” cigars, and a repeal of an annual tobacco tax increase that had ensured tobacco prices keep pace with inflation. Fortunately, the tax bill passed by the Senate contains neither of these provisions.

Science shows tobacco taxes are among the most useful tools for preventing youth smoking and motivating adults to quit. By making tobacco products cheaper and more accessible, both provisions included in the House bill represent backward steps for health in our state. Together with the many organizations in a coalition called Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation, we will push for lawmakers in the tax conference committee to reject the changes proposed in the House bill.

FUNDING FOR TOBACCO PREVENTION AND CESSATION

Both chambers of the Legislature have also passed bills proposing budgets for the state’s health and human services programs. These bills contain good news for tobacco prevention and cessation.

First, both the Senate and House bills include funding for the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), which gives grants to local units of government to expand opportunities for physical activity, healthy eating and tobacco-free living. We were pleased to see this ongoing commitment to a program that is funding important health initiatives around the state.

Additionally, the House bill contains funding for a tobacco cessation quitline. A state-run tobacco quitline is crucial to address tobacco-related health disparities in Minnesota. Currently, Minnesotans have access to quit-smoking support through QUITPLAN® Services, a program provided by ClearWay Minnesota. However, ClearWay Minnesota is a life-limited organization, meaning the QUITPLAN program has only a few years left. It is essential that when our QUITPLAN Services end, Minnesota tobacco users, especially those in communities disproportionately harmed by smoking, have ongoing access to a quitline.

As the Health and Human Services conference committee works on a final bill, we will advocate for full funding for both SHIP and a tobacco cessation helpline. Last year, the state collected $815 million in tobacco settlement payments and tobacco taxes. This is more than enough to fund prevention and treatment activities.

Governor Dayton has consistently shown support for keeping tobacco taxes high, and we will continue to urge lawmakers to make tobacco prevention and cessation top priorities for Minnesota, now and in the future.

Last week, the ClearWay Minnesota Board of Directors approved 14 grants to fund research and local policy advocacy around tobacco issues. The new research grants, totaling $625,000, will be awarded to the following organizations:

• Public Health Law Center for 24-month project titled “Tobacco Control Policies in Homeless Shelters: Targeting Front-Line Staff” ($125,000);
• The American Indian Cancer Foundation for a 24-month project titled “Impacts of Traditional Tobacco Messages on Prevention and Cessation” ($250,000);
• The University of Minnesota for a 24-month project titled “Developing Proactive Outreach Strategies for Asian Language-Speaking Smokers” ($125,000); and
• The University of Minnesota for a 24-month project titled “A Faith-Based Pilot Intervention to Reduce Tobacco Use Among Somali Male Smokers” ($125,000).

“ClearWay Minnesota’s aim is to fund research that will impact policy and practice within Minnesota and nationally,” said David Willoughby, our Chief Executive Officer. “This research will help address smoking in populations with some of the highest tobacco disparities in the state.”

Additionally, local policy grants will be awarded to eight Minnesota organizations working to raise the tobacco age and tobacco prices, to restrict flavored tobacco products and to increase funding for tobacco control and prevention. The organizations are:

• African American Leadership Forum
• American Lung Association in Minnesota – Northeast
• American Lung Association in Minnesota – Greater Mankato
• Association for Nonsmokers – Minnesota
• City of Bloomington
• City of Minneapolis
• Clay County Public Health
• Horizon Public Health

In addition to the local policy grants, the American Lung Association in Minnesota – Greater Mankato and the Association for Nonsmokers – Minnesota will receive grants to provide technical assistance to other organizations conducting tobacco advocacy work. All told, the grants total $1.26 million.

“Local organizations have the best knowledge and judgment about their communities’ readiness for tobacco prevention policies,” said Willoughby. “These organizations have track records of meaningful policy change to reduce youth tobacco initiation, and we believe they will accomplish even greater things with our help.”

February 22 saw a successful tobacco-free advocacy Day at the Capitol. Nearly 300 advocates and young people from all around the state traveled to St. Paul to meet with lawmakers and discuss policy ideas for preventing kids from smoking. The day was hosted by Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation, a 50-member coalition of organizations working to end tobacco’s harm in Minnesota for good.

A morning program for participants included remarks by Sen. Jeffrey Hayden of Minneapolis, a public health champion in the Legislature. Sen. Hayden has authored or cosponsored bills addressing menthol tobacco use in Minnesota’s African American communities and making all foster homes in our state smoke-free. Just last month, he introduced a new bill restricting tobacco couponing, helping keep Minnesota on the leading edge of innovative tobacco prevention policies. The program also featured talented young speakers, including kids from the Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation in St. Paul and a student from Two Harbors who recited her original poem about creating a tobacco-free generation.

The advocates participated in lobby trainings, and then headed to the Capitol grounds for personal meetings with lawmakers. Priority areas for the coalition include:

• Raising Minnesota’s tobacco age to 21;
• Keeping tobacco prices high; and
• Restricting flavors in tobacco products.

All these policies have shown promise for reducing tobacco use among young people. We are hopeful lawmakers will be open to policy options that will move Minnesota in the direction of our first truly smoke-free generation.

Smoke-Free Day at the Capitol 2017 from ClearWay Minnesota on Vimeo.

 

ClearWay Minnesota is conducting a marketing agency search. We are releasing a Request for Information (RFI) as a first step to identify a marketing agency to begin work in January 2018. We are seeking an agency or agencies with strong strategic capabilities to develop and implement a comprehensive marketing campaign in support of our Mission, Legacy Goals and Strategic Plan.

This is an open RFI and we are inviting any eligible agency to respond. The full details of the RFI can be found here. Responses are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 24, 2017.

Agencies with questions about the RFI or the process may contact Marietta Dreher, Director of Communications and Marketing, at mdreher@clearwaymn.org.

Full RFI

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – added March 17, 2017

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – added March 10, 2017

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – added March 3, 2017