Minnesota Highlights
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Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and in Minnesota. To address this enormous toll, the American Lung Association calls for the following actions to be taken by Minnesota's elected officials:
- Restrict access to all flavored commercial tobacco products;
- Preserve funding for commercial tobacco prevention and treatment programs; and
- Maintain a high price for all commercial tobacco products.
The American Lung Association – as part of the Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation statewide coalition of more than 60 organizations focus was continuing to educate decision makers on the health effects of vaping among our youth and the need to restrict access to all flavored commercial tobacco products. One of the highlights was the Lung Association's Day at the Capitol that featured a compelling display of ‘youth voices' stories of the impacts of commercial tobacco on youth from around the state. Because it was a budget session, we also worked to ensure that the funding for the commercial tobacco prevention and control program was preserved.
On May 19th, both the House and Senate adjourned with several budget-related bills needing to be finalized. Working groups were instructed by leadership to finalize budget negotiations by May 21st. In a one-day special legislative session, the Legislature passed a two-year state budget that preserved commercial tobacco prevention and control funding levels.
The American Lung Association will continue to work together at the state level with coalition partners in 2026 as part of the Smoke Free Generation coalition to eliminate access to all flavored commercial tobacco products. We will also continue to work at the local level to pass more policies that restrict access to all flavored tobacco products. Currently, over 34 communities have policies covering about 25% of Minnesotans. More work needs to be done across Minnesota to raise awareness of the health risks of vaping, and what resources are available to help address nicotine addiction.
Minnesota Facts |
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|---|---|
| Healthcare Costs Due to Smoking: | $2,519,011,064 |
| Adult Smoking Rate: | 12.20% |
| Adult Tobacco Use Rate: | 19.40% |
| High School Smoking Rate: | 3.60% |
| High School Tobacco Use Rate: | 15.00% |
| Middle School Smoking Rate: | 1.70% |
| Smoking Attributable Deaths per Year: | 5,910 |
Adult smoking and tobacco use data come from CDC's 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; adult tobacco use includes cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes. High school (11th grade only) smoking and tobacco use, and middle school (8th grade only) smoking rates are taken from the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey. High school tobacco use includes cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and electronic vapor products, as well as hookah, making it incomparable to other states. Rate is rounded to the nearest whole number.
Health impact information is taken from the Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software. Smoking-attributable deaths reflect average annual estimates for the period 2005-2009 and are calculated for persons aged 35 years and older. Smoking-attributable healthcare expenditures are based on 2004 smoking-attributable fractions and 2009 personal healthcare expenditure data. Deaths and expenditures should not be compared by state.
Health impact information is taken from the Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software. Smoking-attributable deaths reflect average annual estimates for the period 2005-2009 and are calculated for persons aged 35 years and older. Smoking-attributable healthcare expenditures are based on 2004 smoking-attributable fractions and 2009 personal healthcare expenditure data. Deaths and expenditures should not be compared by state.
Minnesota Information
Learn more about your state specific legislation regarding efforts toward effective Tobacco Control.