First increase in 17 years

A new survey shows that for the first time since 2000, overall youth tobacco use has increased in Minnesota. The information was presented at a news conference on Feb. 15, with several presenters including MDH Commissioner Jan Malcomb and Hopkins High School student Sagit Nachmais (pictured.)

The report states  26.4 percent of high school students use some form of tobacco or nicotine, up from 24.6 percent in 2014. The most significant increase reported was use of electronic cigarettes - or e-cigarettes.

You can find more information, a fact sheet and the full Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey report on the Minnesota Department of Health website. To watch the full news conference, please go to the MDH Facebook page.

Tips and strategies

We continue our helpful tips, assisting SHIP grantees in preparing and executing successful bi-monthly calls. This week features two tips that are closely related.

Week 3:

- For the month’s strategy areas, were any policy, systems and/or environmental changes implemented? Please highlight these as PSE changes on the call form; we love to hear about successful PSE change.

- As you prepare your information on the form, think in terms of detail and context. It's helpful if a great deal of detail is included. Think paragraph rather than single sentence(s).

A little good news on the impact students from St. Paul Academy and Summit School (SPA) are making impact on tobacco prevention in Saint Paul.

Last year, SPA conducted a student survey that addressed use and social norms around tobacco. With the survey results in hand, SPA Peer Helpers (pictured) met with their city council member last summer and enlighten him about the tobacco problems they see in their high school. They explained that many of their peers think vaping and menthol chew are “cool.” The council member still questioned whether menthol chewing tobacco was really a “youth issue.” The students responded by engaging additional students to convince this law maker of their concerns.

One student captured his personal insights about this problem in a letter to the council member. "Throughout my years on the [school hockey] team, there was a strong tobacco culture in the use of chewing tobacco. Both when I was a new freshman and then as a team leader and role model to the younger team members, I see how menthol chewing tobacco is so ingrained in the hockey culture, and that needs to change.”

This past fall, more SPA students and the school’s Health Education teacher, Susanna Short, circled back with the council member to provide additional information about the impact of menthol tobacco chew on youth. That city council member later stated the students captured his attention and furthered his understanding of the problem.  Additionally, he recently told a tobacco prevention leader that he loved meeting with the students and felt that they had done a better job than the professional lobbyists had done.

This GEM demonstrates that youth are key partners to engage in tobacco regulation efforts and their insights, passion and persistence are the path to tobacco regulation success! Congratulation on this great example of engagement!