Dracut, Mass. Raises Tobacco Purchase Age, Passes Additional Restrictions

The Dracut Board of Health passed a number of tobacco-related proposals at its most recent meeting, the most notable of which is that a person will soon need to be at least 21-years-old to purchase tobacco products.

Additionally, the board passed several other new requirements, notably:

• Retailers must require a customer to present a valid government-issued photographic identification card if they appear to be under 40-years-old and wish to purchase tobacco products;
• All single cigars must be priced at $2.50 or more, while packages of two or more cigars must be priced at $5 or more;
• Prohibiting the sale of any flavored tobacco and vape products, except in adult-only retail tobacco stores where no one under the age of 21 is permitted entry;
• Prohibiting the sale of blunt wraps, except in adult-only retail tobacco stores where no one under the age of 21 is permitted entry; and
• Prohibiting new tobacco sales permit holders from locating within 500 feet of a school

All of the changes were approved 3-0 by the board at its Oct. 25 meeting, according to a report by LowellSun.com. The city has not posted results of the meeting on its website.

The age increase goes into effect on Dec. 15, while the flavored tobacco sales ban goes into effect on March 1, 2019.

Dracut is located in the northern part of the state and is home to approximately 31,500 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.