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• Governor Signs Act to Protect Youth From New Tobacco Products  

Today Minnesota's leading health groups applauded Governor Tim Pawlenty for taking another step to protect youth from harmful tobacco products. This afternoon, the Governor signed into law the Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act of 2010, which updates Minnesota laws to address new generations of tobacco products.

Effective August 1, 2010, these changes apply existing state tobacco taxes and regulations to new smokeless tobacco products, which attract young customers because they are low-cost, come in candy flavors and sometimes resemble mints and breath strips. Specifically, the Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act of 2010:

* Expands the definition of tobacco products to include any product that contains tobacco and is intended for human consumption

* Requires all tobacco products to be sold behind the counter so they are not easily accessible to youth

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