Massachusetts Town Raises Tobacco-Buying Age to 21

Canton, Mass. has raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. The provision affects all tobacco products including cigars and extends even as far as e-cigarettes. It also includes a ban on smokeless tobacco items like snus, but chewing tobacco and snuff appear to have been exempted. The new regulations go into effect Jan. 1, 2014.

“If health officials are looking to curb underage smoking, simply raising the smoking age is only going to increase underage smoking,” said Jon Carney, who up until this week served as La Flor Dominicana’s sales representative in the New England area. “I personally feel 18 is an appropriate age, if one is old enough to vote one should have the ability to decide if they want to smoke or not.”

“Over the years in Canton, Mass. just five elected statesman, who control the city, and non-elected members of the board of health have brought it upon themselves to push aside all state and federal laws,” said Dave Garofalo, owner of Two Guys Smoke Shop, who moved his business from Massachusetts to New Hampshire because of anti-tobacco laws and taxes.

“These foolish laws do nothing but hurt the retailers in their city. Crossing the city borders or buying on-line ‘legally’ is where that business is going to now.”

Canton has at least one cigar shop that will be affected by the new laws, C B Perkins.

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I handle the editing of our written content, the majority of the technical aspects of the site and work with the rest of our staff on content management, business development and more. I’ve lived in most corners of the country and now entering my second stint in Dallas, Texas. I enjoy boxing, headphones, the Le Mans 24-hour, wearing sweatshirts year-round and gyros. echte liebe.