At a Public Safety Advisory Committee Meeting held on November 25th, the Committee discussed the proposed Tobacco 21 ordinance, including age restrictions and enforcement, possible additional compliance checks, the efficacy of similar laws in other cities and states, the misconception between smoking and vaping, and the lack of public feedback. According to meeting minutes, the Committee also recognized that the City of Hastings was proactive by considering a Tobacco 21 ordinance. Furthermore, by passing the proposed ordinance, this would demonstrate to the State Legislature that under-age smoking is a concern in the City. Comments regarding the ordinance included hope for a positive impact of the ordinance, and concerns regarding the age limit and lack of penalty in the proposed ordinance. Police Chief Bryan Schafer indicated that letters would be issued to all tobacco licensees in the City once the date and time of a planned City Council workshop on the ordinance was established. The Committee unanimously voted to recommend approval of the ordinance.
