Brookline, Massachusetts, a pioneer in the fight against tobacco

Brookline, a suburb of Boston in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, has long been a pioneer in enforcing smoking bans, increasing restrictions and promoting statewide tobacco control policies.

It was notably one of the first places in the country to ban smoking in restaurants and bars. In addition, the city also raised the age limit for purchasing tobacco from 18 to 19, and then from 19 to 21, which eventually became the standard nationwide.

Another step forward in the fight against tobacco in Brookline

In recent years, suburban Boston has also required vendors to have licenses to sell tobacco products, and capped the number of licenses. In 2019, Brookline passed a regulation banning the sale of flavored tobacco products, including JUUL e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes. In June 2020, the entire state followed suit.

On November 19, 2020, at a special meeting, local officials took another step forward by adopting Article 14, which prohibits the sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2000. The goal behind adopting this article is to reduce the impact of tobacco, help those who want to quit, and prevent nicotine addiction among new users. The goal of this measure is to achieve a tobacco-free generation, by phasing out the ability to purchase nicotine and tobacco products.

An example to follow in terms of innovation in the fight against tobacco

Unlike a simple age restriction, the new regulation allows people who can already buy tobacco products to continue to do so while phasing out the development of new markets. Adopting this policy, said Ms. Silbaugh (co-petitioner of the new measure, Brookline resident, and member of the City Assembly), allows local vendors and businesses to keep the market they have without expanding it further.

Each year, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 9,300 adults in Massachusetts die from smoking. Whether they smoke or not, residents pay $950 a year in state and federal tax dollars from tobacco-related public spending. Silbaugh hopes Brookline's move will inspire neighboring cities like Boston, Somerville and Cambridge to consider and adopt similar reform.