Dennis, Mass. Board of Health Looking at Raising Tobacco Purchase Age

Seeing how an increase in the minimum purchase age to purchase tobacco has affected the neighboring town of Yarmouth, Mass., the board of health in the Cape Cod town of Dennis has announced plans to explore a similar increase.

While the board has not scheduled hearings on the proposal, they have formally announced an interest in increasing the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and electronic cigarettes to 21-years-old, as Dennis Health Director Terry Hayes told CapeCod.com that the board has been watching changes in Yarmouth and other cities.

Earlier this summer, the Yarmouth Board of Health increased the minimum purchase age to 21, a change that went into effect July 1.

For a similar change to happen in Dennis, the board of health would have to hold public hearings on the matter before passing along a recommendation to the town’s board of aldermen. The final proposal would then have to be approved at the town’s annual meeting in May, according to Hayes. The board’s next meeting is Nov. 13, but the change is not currently on the agenda.

Dennis is home to approximately 14,000 residents.

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 Major League Baseball, 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.