Last night, the St. Paul city council voted to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco at most retail stores. While the ban will not likely apply to most cigars stores, it will certainly affect how smaller cigars from companies like Swisher and John Middleton (Black & Mild) are sold in the city. A provision has been carved out for tobacconists, any store that generates 90 percent or more of its sales from tobacco will be allowed to sell flavored tobacco products. In addition, there’s new minimum pricing for cheaper cigars. Any cigar or cigarillo sold in packs of three or less must retail for at least $2.60 per cigar, up from $2.10, and any box or bundle of four or more cigars must retail for at least $10.40 or more. This is unlikely to affect even bundle cigars as Minnesota has a 95 percent wholesale tax on any cigar with a $3.50 cap. Last year, neighboring Minneapolis passed similar laws. St. Paul is the capital of Minnesota and its second largest city with a population of nearly 295,000 people.
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