Cambridge, Mass. Makes 21 the New Age to Buy Tobacco Products

You can cross Cambridge off the list of Massachusetts cities where you have to be 18 to buy tobacco or nicotine delivery products, because the city council recently voted to increase that age to 21, a change that will go into effect on June 1.

In addition, the council voted to limit smoking in some of the city’s parks and prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in restaurants. Flavored tobacco products are now restricted to tobacco shops only, and there’s a new minimum price for single cigars of $2.50 if they are not sold at retail tobacco shops.

The changes, which occurred at the Jan. 29 city council meeting, come as the council sought to make amendments to its existing tobacco ordinance in the second half of 2014. Those changes include banning smoking at fenced-in “tot lots” as well as parks smaller than 15,000 square feet. It will also be illegal to light up in public open space and parks during city-permitted events according to Wicked Local. The proposed changes can be found here, while the final version has not yet been posted.

Cambridge is located just north of Boston with a population estimated at 107,289 people. It is home to both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).