Braintree, Mass. Raises Tobacco Purchase Age Today

If you want to purchase a premium cigar or any tobacco product, e-cigarette or other “nicotine delivery device” in the Boston suburb of Braintree today, you’d better be at least 21-years-old as the city’s minimum age to purchase tobacco products has just gone up.

The Braintree, Mass. Board of Health voted 2-0 on June 19 to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in the town from 18 to 21.

While adults between the ages of 18 and 20 have a right to be upset by the change, the real onus for the new measure falls squarely on tobacco retailers, as the city has provided some harsh penalties for those who sell tobacco products to persons not yet of age. First time offenders face a five-day suspension of their tobacco sales permit, a $100 fine and a mandatory training program for all employees that sell tobacco that must be completed within 30 days. Second violations carry a 10-day suspension of the permit and a $300 fine, while third offenses will cost a retailer $500 as well as a 30-day suspension of the sales permit. Should a business be found in violation of the new age requirement a fourth time, its license can be suspended for a year.

Braintree is a suburb south of Boston with approximately 35,000 residents.