Submit Your Comment on Preventing Smoking in MN!

Each day Minnesota Public Radio poses a question to its listeners and readers. They read the comments on air throughout the day.

Today's question is: What more should Minnesota do to prevent smoking?
Posted at 5:00 AM on January 19, 2010 by Eric Ringham (5 Comments) Filed under: Health

The American Lung Association gave Minnesota a mixed grade last week for its anti-smoking efforts. About 23 percent of the state's high school students smoke, which is more than the national average. What more should Minnesota do to prevent smoking? This is a fantastic opportunity to shape the debate around tobacco control in Minnesota with an important audience.

What You Can Do .
Go to MPR and post a comment.
Encourage your networks of people to also weigh in

Where To Go To Take Action http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/todays-question/archive/2010/01/what-more-should-minnesota-do-to-prevent-smoking.shtml

Topics/Talking Points to Consider...

• The best way to reduce youth smoking is to raise the price of tobacco products. Significantly raising the tax on tobacco products will prevent tens of thousands of Minnesota's kids from becoming addicted to cigarettes and other tobacco products. .
• Do something about tobacco products designed to appeal to kids. Tobacco products that come in flavors like peach, chocolate, grape, strawberry and watermelon are targeting our kids. .
• Regulate e-cigarettes. They are being sold in malls and convenience stores without being regulated. Minors can buy these products..
• Make reducing tobacco use a public health priority. Tobacco continues to be the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Minnesota. It is not surprising when you consider that the tobacco industry continues to spend millions of dollars advertising their products in Minnesota. We cannot ignore this problem and hope that it goes away. .
• Make more spaces smoke-free. For example, casinos are not smoke-free. Those are workplaces and public spaces where thousands of people continue to be exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke. .
• Support tobacco users who want to quit with free programs like QUITPLAN Services.
• Check out the staggering statistics for Minnesota when it comes to smoking.