Newton City Council in Connecticut Approves Generational Tobacco Ban
The Newton City Council in Connecticut has voted 19-4 to approve a generational ban on tobacco and e-cigarette sales. The measure prohibits purchases by anyone born after March 1, 2004, joining a growing number of Massachusetts communities that have passed similar ordinances to reduce tobacco use among young people.
Supporters of the ban, such as Councilor Susan Albright, emphasized that the measure is not an outright ban but a gradual phase-out over an extended period. The ordinance aims to protect young Newton residents from the harmful effects of smoking while allowing current smokers to continue purchasing tobacco products.
Some opponents of the measure, including Councilor Stephen Farrell, expressed concerns about government overreach. While acknowledging the indisputable health risks associated with smoking, Farrell pointed to the ongoing decline in smoking among adults and teenagers, suggesting that the ban is unnecessary.
Farrell argued that the measure infringes upon the rights of some adults, claiming that the government is dictating what is best for them after they reach the age of 21.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 90% of adult daily smokers first tried smoking before the age of 18. Approximately 8% of middle and high school students in the United States use tobacco products, with e-cigarettes being the most popular choice. Only slightly more than 1% of these students smoke traditional cigarettes.
In 2018, Massachusetts raised the statewide minimum age for purchasing tobacco to 21. Two years later, the state banned the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, flavored vapes, and e-cigarettes.
Newton joins Brookline and a dozen other Massachusetts towns that have adopted similar generational bans on tobacco sales. Brookline was the first community in the state to implement such a ban, prohibiting the sale of tobacco to anyone born in this century. The Supreme Judicial Court upheld the rule in 2021 after store owners challenged its constitutionality.
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller of Newton advocated for the ordinance, stating that it would create a “nicotine-free generation” and help reduce the harm caused by tobacco products. Fuller emphasized the significant contribution of smoking-related illnesses to healthcare costs and strains on the healthcare system.
The New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association, represented by its executive director Peter Brennan, opposed the measure. Brennan argued that the new rule in Newton, as well as a possible statewide measure, is a “misguided infringement on adults’ rights” that will create an illicit market, increase crime, and harm small businesses without addressing youth tobacco use.
The association has launched a new coalition called Citizens for Adult Choice to campaign against prohibiting adults from purchasing legal nicotine products. The coalition aims to protect the individual liberty of adults in Massachusetts to make their own decisions regarding tobacco use.
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