December 23, 2013 Patrick Lagreid Age Restrictions,  Regulations

Newburyport, Mass. Could Up Tobacco Purchase Age to 19

Massachusetts continues to be a hotbed of proposals that would raise the minimum age to buy tobacco from 18 to 19-years-old, as the town of Newburyport’s Board of Health will soon consider the increase as a move that is being described as “an apparent gesture to accommodate concerns of owners of small businesses.”

A previous proposal would have raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21, but local merchants told the board that the move would have a significant impact on their businesses and annual income up to the tune of a 40% decrease, according to NewburyportNews.com. While it doesn’t appear that the town has any premium cigar shops, they do have 17 establishments licensed to sell tobacco products.

The board is also taking a look at relaxing the process of transferring a tobacco license when a store is sold. A public hearing regarding the changes will be scheduled in the coming weeks.

If the age increase is passed, Newburyport would join a growing list of cities and towns in Massachusetts to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco. Needham, raised the age to 21 in 2005, while Arlington, Canton, Dover and Sharon have all raised the age to 21. Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, Watertown, and Walpole have raised the minimum age to 19. Earlier this month, Hopkinton, Mass. rejected an age increase to 21.

Newburyport is located in northeastern Massachusetts, just over 40 miles northeast of Boston, and is home to just under 18,000 residents.

Massachusetts Newburyport tobacco purchasing age
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.

Related Posts