Agenda - Council Work Session - 12/09/2014

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LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES ENDORSED BY THE CITY OF RAMSEY 2015 LMC LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM (6) Smoking Ban Ordinances (E-Cigarettes)* ISSUE: in 2007, the Legislature extended the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act (MCIAA) to cover all workplaces, including restaurants and bars. The law sets a floor with minimum standards and allows local governments to implement more restrictive ordinances. In recent years, the popularity and use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has increased significantly. There is much that is unknown about the health impacts of ecigarettes which has slowed government regulation of their sale and use. Because of concerns over potential health impacts and the lack of comprehensive state and federal regulation, cities have passed ordinances on an individual basis restricting the sale of ecigarettes to minors and prohibiting their use in public places. In 2014, the Legislature passed regulations on the sale of e-cigarettes to mirror existing cigarette sale regulations including prohibiting sale to minors. It also passed a law prohibiting use in public buildings owned and operated by the State of Minnesota and all political subdivisions. The Legislature did not ban indoor use in all workplaces. RECOMMENDATION: support LMC position: "Many cities have already passed ordinances banning the use of ecigarettes in all public places. To ensure uniformity and consistency across the state, the Legislature should regulate ecigarettes under the MCIAA while preserving the ability of local governments to enact more restrictive ordinances." *Identical language as 2015 LMC Legislative Platform, SD 57 2014 City of Ramsey Legislative Platform Page 9 of 10