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The Problem
The tobacco industry spends $9.1 billion ($25 million each day) marketing its products with $2.92 billion in annual healthcare costs in Minnesota alone are directly caused by smoking.
Commercial tobacco use creates health inequities which have a lasting and detrimental impact on communities of color and other minority communities.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there has been no 12-month period in which the coronavirus killed more people than commercial tobacco has killed.
The tobacco industry has a long history of targeting youth, women, Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and the LGBTQ+ community with predatory marketing.
Cigarette butts are the number one source of litter, and toxic e-cigarette waste is increasing dramatically.