Olmsted County residents overwhelmingly support ending the sale of flavored tobacco products
Highlights
- A new poll found that 66% of Olmsted County residents support (or strongly support) a county-wide ordinance ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products—including fruit-, mint-, and candy-flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.
- When weighing priorities, 64% said protecting kids matters more than protecting small businesses’ right to sell these products, and 61% said preventing youth use matters more than adults’ right to buy their preferred flavors. Separately, 72% expressed concern about youth vaping, smoking, and tobacco use.
- Support is consistent across every district, ranging from 60% (Districts 1 and 2) up to 73% (District 7), and cut across the political spectrum. Notably, 72% of respondents don’t have young children at home, signaling this is a community-wide priority, not just a parents’ issue.
- The poll surveyed 700 randomly selected residents by phone April 15–29, 2026 (±3.8% margin of error).
- Learn more about the Love Your Lungs campaign as loveyourlungsolmsted.org.
Press Release
New poll shows Olmsted County residents overwhelmingly support an ordinance to end the sale of flavored tobacco products
Two-thirds of respondents support an ordinance and indicate youth health is more important than business sales and adult choice
Rochester, Minn. (Aug. 20, 2026) — New polling data finds Olmsted County residents overwhelmingly support a county-wide ordinance to end the sale of flavored tobacco products by more than a two-to-one margin. The results underscore growing public concern about youth health and safety and the lifelong impacts of nicotine addiction.
The recent poll, conducted by The Morris Leatherman Company, found that 66% of respondents either support or strongly support an ordinance that would end the sale of all flavored tobacco products including fruit-, mint- and candy-flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. The results also show strong, consistent support in every Olmsted County district.
“Every day, schools work to help students make healthy choices and build a strong foundation for their futures,” said Dr. Kent Pekel, superintendent of Rochester Public Schools. “Tobacco undermines those efforts by addicting our kids with candy flavors. Our community has an opportunity to put our kids’ health first and take meaningful action to protect them, and this poll reinforces that the community wants this. Now is the time.”
Other critical poll results include:
- 72% of respondents are concerned with youth vaping, smoking and other tobacco use in Olmsted County.
- 64% of respondents say it is more important to protect Olmsted County kids and end the sale of flavored tobacco products than to protect small businesses by allowing them to sell these products.
- 61% of respondents say it is more important to prevent Olmsted County kids from using flavored tobaccothan to protect the rights of adults to buy tobacco products in the flavor of their choice.
- Support for the ordinance is widespread throughout Olmsted County with 60% support in District 1; 60% support in District 2; 67% support in District 3; 71% support in District 4; 67% support in District 6; and 73% support in District 7.
Additionally, 72% of respondents do not have preschool or school-aged children living at home — indicating this issue is important to all Olmsted County residents, not just parents. There was also a diverse spread of political ideologies represented among survey-takers including 23% moderate, 22% conservative, 18% liberal, 13% moderate liberal and 12% moderate conservative.
“People in our community are telling us what they value: protecting our kids,” said Dr. Walé Elegbede, president of the Rochester Branch of the NAACP. “When two-thirds of residents from across the county say they support ending the sale of flavored tobacco products, we need to listen and act. Our kids are the future of Olmsted County — let’s make it clear to them that we care more about their health than pedaling the rhetoric of the tobacco industry.”
The poll findings come as new Minnesota data show the continued connection between flavored products and youth tobacco use. The 2025 Minnesota Student Survey shows that, among Minnesota 11th graders who reported vaping in the past 30 days, 89% used flavored e-cigarettes, with fruit, menthol or mint, and candy among the most-used flavors.
For young people, the impact of flavored tobacco is not an abstract policy debate; it’s a daily occurrence. Youth are not only using e-cigarettes, but the growing popularity and social media influence of nicotine pouches should raise alarms for everyone.
“It doesn’t matter these days if you are a star athlete or the lead in the school play, everyone is using flavored tobacco. My peers are becoming addicted, and they don’t even know it,” said Ava, a recent graduate from Pine Island. “Adults should make choices that protect kids. If they know these products are targeted toward getting young people addicted to nicotine, they should do something about it.”
The poll surveyed 700 randomly selected Olmsted County residents by telephone April 15-29, 2026. A summary of the poll results is available here.
Poll methodology
The survey was administered to 700 randomly selected adult residents in Olmsted County. Professional interviewers conducted the survey via landline and cell phone calls between April 15th and 29th, 2026. The results are projectable to all adult residents in Olmsted County to within ±3.8% in 95 out of 100 cases. The survey was paid for by the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund.
Media Assets
About Love Your Lungs Olmsted
We are a coalition that works to protect our community from the harms of flavored commercial tobacco. We advocate for policy change, educate the community, and connect young people to the support they need to live nicotine-free lives. If your organization is interested in joining our coalition, please contact us.
