Last Wednesday, the town of Westminster, MA attempted to hold a public hearing to discuss the proposal to ban the sale of products containing tobacco or nicotine, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and electronic cigarettes. However, chairwoman Andrea Crete was forced to call the session to an end, as attendees became too rowdy.
This proposed ban, which would be the first of its kind in the state, has many residents up in arms, as well as generating widespread interest nationwide among devotees of public health and tobacco-related issues. Opponents of the ban argue that It s not about tobacco it s about control, and it's an infringement on personal choice. Brian Vincent, owner of Vincent s County Store also voiced concerns about losing business. He says, We need to keep Westminster dollars being spent in Westminster, not going to the next town over.
While proponents of the ban, specifically the local public health officials, argue that the ban is meant to save lives and prevent kids from becoming tobacco users, Mr. Vincent s concerns illustrate what will very likely happen should this ban be passed when/if it comes up again. Smokers craving their nicotine fix will simply go to the next town to get their fix. Although there will not be another public hearing, the board is accepting written comments until December 1st and will likely vote on whether to enact the ban before the end of the year.
ACSH s Dr. Gilbert Ross had this to say. There are 42 million daily smokers in America. Enacting a ban of this kind in a small town in Massachusetts is not likely to deter any one of these 42 million from smoking, especially given how easy it is to go to the next town to get their cigarettes, or over the Internet. Furthermore, I would argue that kids would be even more likely to begin smoking under the forbidden fruit theory: the fact that it is banned makes it more enticing.
He goes on. Even more disturbing is the fact that e-cigarettes would be included in this ban. Millions of smokers have quit their toxic addiction to combustible cigarettes through vaping. Why in the world should electronic cigarettes be treated like deadly cigarettes: they have no tobacco and they emit no smoke. To ban them as if they were cigarettes, would discourage many smokers from using them (or continuing to use them). Devotees of public health should fervently hope that the panel votes this ban down when they reconvene before the end of the year. To sum up, such a ban will have only negative impacts, on public health and quite strongly on the local Westminster economy.