American Heart Association and SAFE Coalition are asking city leaders to ban flavored commercial tobacco and nicotine

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — The American Heart Association and SAFE Coalition are teaming up to end the sale of flavored tobacco products in North Dakota.

The organizations will be holding a stakeholder roundtable on Wednesday, and they are calling on city leaders to take action to keep flavored nicotine products out of the hands of children.

The roundtable is being put on with help from The Chamber.

Ideas from the event will eventually be sent to the Fargo City Commission to help make and adopt a commercial tobacco/nicotine control ordinance.

American Heart Association says more than 18 percent of North Dakota high school students currently use e-cigarettes, more than twice the national average.

“The product itself has no redeeming value. It only addicts. It causes suffering, it causes chronic disease, and premature preventable death, and so we want to create an environment that makes it easier for our kids to grow up without that addiction,” said Rory Beil, SAFE Coalition.

The roundtable discussion will be held from 3:30 to five at the Sky Commons Conference Center in Fargo.