After consultations with tobacco retailers and several months of looking into the issue, the city of Waltham, Mass. appears ready to move forward and raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21.
While a broader smoking ban doesn’t appear to be on the table, Waltham Director of Public Health Walter Sweder told the Waltham News Tribune that they are focusing in on the small demographic of young adults who would be affected. “If they want to start smoking after 21, that’s their business,” he said.
Stephen Ryan, executive director of the New England Convenience Store Association, asked the Waltham Board of Health to hold off on making any changes until after the Food and Drug Administration releases its study on the impacts of raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, which is due to be released in 2015. He cited the potential loss of revenue to area businesses in a March presentation to the board, but it appears they will move forward on their own timetable.
The board has already invited all tobacco retailers in the city to a meeting on June 24 to discuss the change, a group which totals about 75 retailers.
Should an increase in the minimum age to purchase tobacco come to pass in Waltham, the city would join more than a dozen cities and towns in Massachusetts who have made similar moves, including Newburyport, Wellesley, Hudson, Scituate, Canton and Needham.
Waltham is located approximately 10 miles west of Boston, and is home to approximately 62,000 residents.