MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council says their newly amended city ordinance that raises the minimum price of a pack of cigarettes to $15 is a big win for public health, but many smokers and shop owners disagree.
Smoke shop manager Josh Kerr says many smokers will simply pay the higher price, but some will drive to the next city where prices are cheaper.
“We will lose business and customers because of this,” Kerr said. He’s also worried about theft.
Minneapolis police have responded to several break-ins at smoke shops in recent months and Kerr is worried the city could see even more break-ins over these higher prices.
“I suspect we will see a lot more ‘black market’ products out there with people stealing cartons and packs and selling them on the street,” Kerr added.
Some smokers also argue money isn’t a primary concern when you’re dealing with an addiction.
“If you smoke, you smoke,” Terry Kirk says.
“I told myself I wasn’t going to pay when it was over $10. I’m still buying cigarettes. When you have that habit it stays there.”
Ivan Mann also suspects many smokers will find a way to avoid paying the higher prices.
“Yeah, I don’t think people are going to stop buying cigarettes. You may see people pooling together to buy a carton or something in a different city to save some money, but I don’t think many smokers are going to stop because of this,” Mann says.
Emily Anderson disagrees.
She's the public policy director for the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota.
"For every 10% you increase the price, you drop adult smoking by three to five percent, and youth smoking by six to seven percent, and those and those are big numbers when it comes to tobacco control,” said Anderson.
Anderson says the latest numbers show Minnesotans are paying around $4 billion a year in tobacco-related health care costs.
"Those are costs we all pay," Anderson says.
"On top of that we lose 6,500 Minnesota lives every year."
But quitting isn't easy.
Shop owners worry the higher prices will hurt many low-income residents who are already struggling, and $15 is just the beginning.
"If you have the $15 minimum, that's going to be for the generic cigarettes. Well, then what's it going to be for the brand name cigarettes going to increase to? 20? 21 dollars a pack? That's what I worry about,” Kerr says.
A city spokesperson tells KARE 11 that Mayor Jacob Frey is expected to sign this newly amended ordinance within the next three to five days, and the ordinance should go into effect shortly after it is signed.
So, with that timeline, the higher prices could go into effect as early as next week.
City leaders say to their knowledge this $15 minimum will become the highest out of any city in the country.
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