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Stearns County pauses update to tobacco ordinance after public comments; board seeks more input on employee age and coupon rules
Summary
County staff presented a proposed update to a 1999 tobacco ordinance to address vaping, modernize licensing, raise penalties and require compliance checks; after comments from convenience‑store operators and residents, the board continued the item to gather comparative county language and refine draft provisions (notably employee minimum age and coupon/discount rules).
Stearns County officials presented proposed updates on April 21 to the county’s tobacco ordinance — last drafted in 1999 — to reflect modern products (including e‑cigarettes), add licensing in townships and unincorporated areas, raise administrative penalties and formalize compliance checks.
Staff said the update would incorporate the 2007 "Freedom to Breathe" precedent on indoor smoking, the federal/state tobacco‑21 standard and new product definitions for vaping devices. The draft proposed…
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