CLEARWAY MINNESOTA (SM)

AS CLEARWAY MINNESOTA'S LIMITED LIFETIME ENDED ON DECEMBER 31, 2021, THE ORGANIZATION HAS NOW CLOSED DOWN PROGRAMS AND CEASED OPERATIONS. FINAL ACTIVITIES IN FISCAL YEAR 2021 AND THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF FISCAL YEAR 2022 (THE FINAL MONTHS OF THE ORGANIZATION'S EXISTENCE) INCLUDED THE SECOND ITERATION OF THE TRIBAL TOBACCO USE PROJECT SURVEY (TTUP II), CONTRACTED TO THE AMERICAN INDIAN CANCER FOUNDATION. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2022, TTUP II CONTINUED SURVEY IMPLEMENTATION AND DATA COLLECTION. TTUP II WILL GENERATE STATEWIDE AND TRIBAL-SPECIFIC DATA ON COMMERCIAL AND TRADITIONAL TOBACCO USE AND RELATED KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND BELIEFS AMONG AMERICAN INDIAN ADULTS IN MINNESOTA. RESULTS (EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED IN CALENDAR YEAR 2022) WILL HIGHLIGHT CHANGES SINCE THE FIRST TTUP SURVEY AND SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR TRIBAL AND STATEWIDE STAKEHOLDERS FOR REDUCING THE HARMS OF COMMERCIAL TOBACCO USE STATEWIDE AND WITHIN INDIVIDUAL TRIBAL NATIONS.IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND POLICY ADVOCACY, THIS YEAR CLEARWAY MINNESOTA CONCLUDED ITS EFFORTS TO REDUCE TOBACCO'S HARM THROUGH COALITION BUILDING, POLICY ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. CONTRACTORS WERE THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION IN MINNESOTA AND THE ASSOCIATION FOR NONSMOKERS-MINNESOTA (ANSR-MN), WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO CLEARWAY MINNESOTA'S STATEWIDE POLICY GOALS BY EDUCATING LAWMAKERS ABOUT THE GROWING YOUTH TOBACCO EPIDEMIC IN MINNESOTA AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PASSING STRONG STATEWIDE POLICIES TO HELP SMOKERS QUIT AND PREVENT YOUTH FROM STARTING, INCLUDING PROHIBITING THE SALE OF FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND INCREASING FUNDING FOR TOBACCO PREVENTION. CLEARWAY MINNESOTA ALSO CONCLUDED ITS CO-LEADERSHIP OF MINNESOTANS FOR A SMOKE-FREE GENERATION, A STATEWIDE COALITION WORKING TO SUPPORT POLICIES THAT HELP PREVENT YOUNG PEOPLE FROM INITIATING COMMERCIAL TOBACCO USE. CLEARWAY MINNESOTA CONTINUED CONTRACTING WITH RAPP STRATEGIES, INC., FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS SUPPORT DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR.