Candy smokes and cartoon character lighters soon will no longer be sold in St. Paul.

The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve an ordinance that bans the sale of "imitation tobacco products" and "novelty lighters." The ordinance will take effect in about a month.

St. Paul might be the only U.S. city to ban both the fake tobacco products and lighters.

Several countries prohibit the sale of candy cigarettes, including Australia, Canada and Thailand. In the United States, some national retailers, such as CVS and Wal-Mart, have agreed not to sell them. Maine and Tennessee and some local jurisdictions in other states also have banned the sale of novelty lighters.

The ordinance was championed by a group of St. Paul teenagers working with the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota, which educates youth groups and individuals who want to lobby for anti-tobacco policies. The teens were concerned that the products would lead children to smoke later in life. Some studies have confirmed their concerns.

Nobody spoke in opposition to the ordinance during a public hearing last week.

Shanicee Dillon, a junior at Johnson High School, was part of the ordinance push. "It's nice to know you can have an impact on a community." she said.

She added that it might be time to try to push similar ordinances in other cities.

CHRIS HAVENS