Duluth Passes Flavored Tobacco Ban; Local Business Leaders React

City Ordinance Restricts Flavored Tobacco Sales to Eighteen-Plus Smoke Shops

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council has voted. Starting this June, the sale of flavored tobacco products will be banned from convenience stores throughout Duluth.

Seven of the nine city councilors voted in favor of the ban, saying it’s a step in the right direction when it comes to the health of kids.

Others strongly believe the ordinance will dramatically hurt some local businesses.

In one-hundred-twenty days, flavored tobacco products will no longer be sold at most stores in Duluth. The only exceptions are smoke shops open to people eighteen and older.

The General Manger of Sadi’s Smoke Shop on London Road believes his business will pick up after flavored tobacco is no longer available in other stores. He thinks the ordinance could be very helpful to local businesses like his.

“For the gas station we can say ninety percent of all of them, corporation,” said Ayser Sadi, General Manger of Sadi’s Smoke Shop. “And then for the smoke shop, I think all of them are local people like family business.”

There are some locally owned convenience stores outside of Duluth, like the Hermantown General Store, that could potentially sell more flavored tobacco due to Duluth’s ordinance.

But manager Rhonda Mundle is not happy to hear about the ordinance passing.

“I’m kind of afraid that Hermantown will follow suit,” said Mundle. “I’m hoping not, I’m hoping that our city council is a little bit smarter than the Duluth City Council but we’ll see what happens. I haven’t heard anything. I’m just hoping that doesn’t happen.”

Monday’s vote makes Duluth one of a handful of Minnesota cities to restrict or ban flavored tobacco products.

The ban extends to convenience stores, liquor stores, drug stores, everything that’s not an age-restricted smoke shop.