Somerville Considering 'Nicotine-Free' Ordinance

SOMERVILLE, MA — Local Tobacco retailers are gearing up to oppose an ordinance that will prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine smoking products in the city to anyone born after a certain date during an upcoming Board of Health meeting Thursday night.

The Board is slated to consider the proposed ordinance during its March 20 meeting, and will also hear public input from those who support and oppose it. If passed, the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2005 would be permanently banned. More than 10 municipalities throughout the state have already joined the “nicotine free generation.” Brookline was the first community to adopt the law in 2020. Retailers who oppose the law are part of the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association.

Last November, State Reps. Tommy Vitolo, Kate Lipper-Garabedian, and State Sen. Jason Lewis proposed The Nicotine Free Generation Bill, which would implement what the individual communities have done on a statewide basis.