ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Paul City Council members have voted to end the sale of single cigarettes, or "loosies," citing the lack of health warnings on the products and that their "cheapness" attracts minorities and low-income consumers, reports the Associated Press.

According to Council President Kathy Lantry, who proposed the ordinance, the products take "advantage of people" and are "a way that kids start smoking."

The AP notes that other Minnesota cities, such as Brainerd, Mankato and Coon Rapids, already ban the sale of single cigarettes and that some counties have implemented similar bans.

“I was really shocked that the state didn’t already do this,” Dr. Jean Forster of the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health told the news source. “Young people are extremely price-sensitive ... especially with the price of cigarettes going up because of taxes and such.”

The AP notes that loosies date back to the 1930s, "when Depression-era men and women couldn’t afford a full pack of cigarettes."