The Westminster, Mass., Board of Health is considering whether to ban tobacco sales in the town, and could be the first municipality in the country to do so.
According to a draft of the proposed regulation, the town would ban the sale of products containing or made from tobacco or nicotine, including e-cigarettes and products that are absorbed, dissolved or ingested. Violations would result in a $300 fine.
The town has been considering the ban for months, Westminster health agent Elizabeth Swedberg told the Boston Globe. “This doesn’t seem right, that we are permitting products that, if used as directed, 50 percent of people die,” she said. A spokesperson for Westminster was not available to speak with The Post.
D.J. Wilson, director of the municipal association’s tobacco control program, told the Boston Globe that even if residents drive out of town to buy their cigarettes should the ban pass, the move would “send a clear message” and make it harder for teenagers to get hold of them.
The CVS pharmacy chain stopped selling tobacco products at its 7,600 stores this month. It’s estimated that the move will cost the company $2 billion a year, but it coincided with a campaign to brand itself as more focused on health.
