Ordinance - #98-02 - 01/13/1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORDINANCE/t98-02 CITY OF RAMSEY ANOKA COUNTY STATE OF MINNESOTA AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE SALE, POSSESSION, AND USE OF TOBACCO, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, AND TOBACCO RELATED DEVICES IN THE CITY OF RAMSEY AND TO REDUCE THE ILLEGAL SALE, POSSESSION, AND USE OF SUCH ITEMS TO AND BY MINORS The City of Ramsey Ordains: SECTION 1. PURPOSE Because the City of Ramsey recognizes that many persons under the age of 18 years purchase or otherwise obtain, posses, and use tobacco, tobacco products, and tobacco related devices, and such sales, possession, and use are violations of both State and Federal laws; and because studies, which are hereby accepted and adopted, have shown that most smokers begin smoking before they have reached the age of 18 years and that those persons who reach the age of 18 years without having started smoking are significantly less likely to begin smoking; and because smoking has been shown to be the cause of several serious health problems which subsequently place a financial burden on all levels of government; this ordinance shall be intended to regulate the sale, possession and use of tobacco, tobacco products, and tobacco related devices for the purpose of enforcing and furthering existing laws, to protect minors against the serious effects associated with the illegal use of tobacco, tobacco products, and tobacco related devices, and to further the official public policy of the State of Minnesota in regard to preventing young people from starting to smoke as stated in Minnesota Statute 144.391. SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS Except as may otherwise be provided or clearly implied by context, all terms shall be given their commonly accepted definitions. The singular shall include the plural and the plural shall include the singular. The masculine shall include the feminine and neuter, and vice-versa. The term "shall" means mandatory and the term "may" means permissive. The following terms shall have the definitions given to them: City - "City" shall mean the City of Ramsey, Anoka County, Minnesota. Tobacco or Tobacco Products - "Tobacco" or "Tobacco Products" shall mean any substance or item containing leaf, including but not limited to, cigarette; cigars; pipe tobacco; snuff, fine cut or other chewing tobacco; cheroots, stogies; perique; granulated, plus cut, crimp cut, ready-rubbed, and other smoking tobacco; snuff flowers; cavendish; shorts; plug and twist tobaccos; dipping tobaccos; refuse scraps, clippings, cuttings, and sweepings of tobacco; and other kinds and forms of tobacco leaf prepared in such manner as to be suitable for chewing, sniffing, or smoking.