The small and affluent town of Marshfield could be the next municipality in Massachusetts to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes as its board of health has begun the process of studying a number of changes that could be implemented in the new year.

While the age increase is the most wide-ranging, the board will also be looking at banning flavored tobacco products, establishing a minimum age to purchase electronic cigarettes and possibly requiring a minimum price for mass-market cigars typically found in convenience stores.

Over 40 cities and towns in the state have passed similar types of legislation, including the neighboring town of Scituate, which raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in May.

The board will spend the coming weeks studying the proposals and discuss it at its next meeting, according to Wicked Local Marshfield. The board meets on an as-needed basis, and has not announced its next meeting.

Marshfield is home to just over 25,000 residents and is located 30 miles southeast of Boston.

Avatar photo

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.