Grafton, Mass. Raises Tobacco Purchase Age to 21

The Grafton, Mass. Board of Health isn’t wasting any time in implementing an increase to the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, as Monday’s approval of the proposal goes into effect Sept. 1.

In addition to making the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21, the board also approved a ban on tobacco sales within 500 feet of a school, a ban on tobacco sales at educational or medical facilities, a minimum price for single cigars of $2.50 and a ban on flavored cigars being sold anywhere except smoking bars and tobacco retail stores where only adults are allowed. Fines for violating the new law have also been increased from $100 to $300 for a first violation, with a seven-day suspension of a sales permit and fine for a second violation and a 30-day license suspension and fine for a third offense, according to a report from The Grafton News.

The increase brings Grafton in line with more approximately 130 other cities and towns throughout the state to increase the minimum purchase age for tobacco products to 21, however a bill to make the increase statewide ran out of time to get passed during the most recent legislative session.

Grafton is home to an estimated 17,765 residents and is located about 43 miles southwest of Boston.

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.