Advocates for raising the age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 statewide are taking to the capitol Wednesday.
A couple hundred people are expected to rally in the rotunda calling for Minnesota to join six other states in passing the law. Around two dozen Minnesota cities and counties have already done so.
Molly Moilanen, co-chair for Minnesotans for a Smoke-Free Generation Coalition says e-cigarettes can be appealing to younger teens and that enacting this law would limit their access to tobacco products.
"They are very efficient nicotine delivery systems," she said. "I think since people have seen these new products enter into their high schools and in their middle schools as well, I think Minnesotans have taken notice of that and want to do something to make a difference to prevent it from spreading."
RELATED: Minneapolis raises legal tobacco age
The proposal has faced backlash from small business owners that sell tobacco products.
"We think we have pretty smooth sailing in the house, but the senate's going to continue to throw some challenges our way with a couple tough committee chairs that aren't supportive themselves, so I think we're going to struggle to get hearings on the senate side," Moilanen said.
Two other proposed bills would add e-cigarettes to Minnesota's smoke-free indoor air law, and fund the state's quit-smoking program past 2020.
