Shop owners selling tobacco in Rosemount can no longer allow customers to sample tobacco products indoors, thanks to a new city ordinance passed last week.
The Rosemount City Council unanimously approved a new ordinance amendment that closes a loophole in the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act—statewide legislation implemented in 2007. Under the act, smoking is prohibited indoors in public places—with certain exceptions, like during Native American ceremonies, scientific studies and in tobacco shops, or private homes.
But cities are free to adopt more stringent rules governing public smoking, and several Twin Cities suburbs, including Hopkins, Little Canada, Maplewood and others, are already passed ordinances outlawing sampling of tobacco products in retail stores.
The rationale behind the new ordinance is simple, Rosemount Mayor Bill Droste said. Tobacco shops are frequently found in retail centers or strip malls, and tobacco sampling in the shop could be detrimental for attached businesses sharing walls or a ventilation system. There's also a public health benefit to be had from tightening the restrictions, said Droste, who called passing the new ordinance a "proactive" approach to potential problems.
"With some of these items, you don’t want to wait until you have an issue, especially with smoking," Droste said. "If there’s smoke around, people can tell."
Rosemount has a single dedicated tobacco shops: The Cigar Shop at 3808 150th St. W. Several other area gas stations also sell tobacco products, Droste said. None of these businesses have had indoor smoking complaints filed against them, the mayor added.
An employee at the Cigar Shop declined to comment on the new ordinance on Tuesday afternoon.
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