There’s one less town in Massachusetts where 18-year-olds can buy tobacco products, as the Greenfield Board of Health voted unanimously to raise the age to 21 on Wednesday night, a change that will go into effect on July 1.

The board also voted to put a cap on the number of tobacco retailer permits issued in the town at 25, while also banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. In addition, new tobacco retailers won’t be allowed to open within 500 feet of a school, though some existing stores will be grandfathered, according to WWLP.com. The board has yet to post the new regulations on its website.

It continues a trend of several towns and cities in Franklin County raising the minimum age, as both Montague and Leverett have passed similar increases in recent months.

Greenfield is located about 90 miles west of Boston, with a population of just over 18,000 residents.

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, the G-League's Valley Suns, 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.