Seifert says he doesn't expect the Legislature to pass his bill this year, that he merely wants the Minnesota Health Department to explain how it's spending the tobacco money and justify its tactics to legislators. The public deserves a full accounting of the campaign's grants and their effectiveness. But there's no reason to think that state lawmakers know better than the Health Department how to attack tobacco use. Meanwhile, lawmakers shouldn't let the cocky tone and adolescent swagger of Target Market obscure the sober issue at stake. Smoking is arguably Minnesota's No. 1 public health concern.
Tobacco kills more people every year than guns, suicide, alcohol and illegal drugs combined.
And Minnesota, despite its wholesome reputation, has a teen tobacco-use rate substantially higher than the national average.