Commercial Tobacco

​​Commercial tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide. Commercial tobacco can cause cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases and other negative health effects in people who use the products and people who are exposed to secondhand smoke.  

Commercial tobacco is different from the tobacco used by American Indian and Alaska Native communities for ceremonial or medicinal purposes. 

Get help to​​ quit 

Quitting smoking, vaping or chewing is one of the best things a person can do to improve their health. 

Anyone in Minnesota can get free quit help through Quit Partner. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) or sign up on the Quit Partner website to get counseling, text support and educational materials. Quit Partner can also provide nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine patches or gum by mail. 

Preventing teen c​ommercial tobacco use 

Fewer Dakota County teens are smoking cigarettes than ever. The 2022 Minnesota Student Survey shows 2.6 percent of Dakota County 11th graders smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days, compared to 9.5 percent in 2013. 

Teen vaping continues to be a concern. Fewer Dakota County students reported vaping in the past 30 days in 2022 than in 2019. But, vaping remains the most common form of commercial tobacco use among teens. Oral nicotine pouches from brands such as Zyn and Rogue are also becoming more popular. 

My Life, My Quit is Minnesota's free program to help teens between 13–17 quit nicotine. Teens can text “Start My Quit" to 36072 or enroll on the My Life, My Quit website for confidential, text-based support. 

Dakota County works with parents, schools, businesses, recreational facilities and other community partners to prevent youth access to commercial tobacco and exposure to secondhand smoke. Below are a few resources:

• What parents can do to keep kids commercial tobacco-free 
• Tobacco-free youth recreation 
• Preventing illegal tobacco sales to teens in Dakota County  

Clear the air of seco​ndhand smoke 

Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds, including 250 known toxins and 11 known cancer-causing poisons. 

​There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke or vape aerosol. Even brief exposure can be dangerous. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control estimates secondhand smoke causes more than 40,000 deaths per year among nonsmoking adults. 

To prevent exposure to secondhand smoke: 

• If you smoke or vape, don't do it around others. 
• Select an apartment or townhouse in a smoke-free complex — if that isn't possible, take steps to limit your exposure to smoke. 
• Choose smoke-free settings for dining, entertainment, and recreation. 
• Support efforts to create smoke and vape-free public settings, indoors and outdoors. 
• Report violations of the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act.