Around New England

New Massachusetts Law In Effect: No Tobacco, Vaping Sales At Pharmacies And Health Care Facilities

January 5, 2019

A new Massachusetts law that went into effect December 31 prohibits the sale of tobacco and vaping products by pharmacies and health care institutions.

According to the Athol Daily News, similar restrictions had already been instituted by “174 cities and towns, including the seven largest cities in the state.”

The ADN (ADN) reports the new statewide law — the first of its kind in the nation — also carries with it an increase in the age such products can be purchased, from 18 years old to 21, and a ban on the use of vaping products (such as e-cigarettes) in “all workplaces, restaurants and bars” that fall under Massachusetts’ 2004 Smoke-Free Workplace Law.

Supermarkets and similar retailers that “contain pharmacies” are also subject to the law, according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

The ADN notes that prohibiting pharmacies and health care facilities from selling tobacco and vaping products “protects public health by reducing youth exposure to a wide variety of enticing and addictive products and by reducing triggers for smokers who are trying to quit.”

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed the new legislation in July after a years-long state legislative effort to better control tobacco and related products.