Massachusetts Senate approves under-21 ban on tobacco sales

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Massachusetts Senate approves under-21 ban on tobacco sales

By Bob Salsberg | AP April 28 at 5:59 PM

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to raise the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes and other tobacco products across the state, which could make it the second to raise its threshold to 21 years old.

The higher age is already in effect in Boston and more than 100 other cities and towns, covering about half the state’s population.

The bill, which moves to the House after being approved on a 32-2 vote, also sets new regulations for electronic cigarettes including a ban on vaping in places where smoking is otherwise prohibited. It would also ban the sale of tobacco in pharmacies and other health care facilities.

Stores caught selling tobacco to people under 21 would face fines ranging from $100 to $300.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/massachusetts-senate-approves-under-21-ban-on-tobacco-sales/2016/04/28/a0cd94f0-0d8a-11e6-bc53-db634ca94a2a_story.html

[beac]

1. Good. But I think those fines are too low.

FWIW, I am an ex-smoker who started as a teenager (when the legal age was 16). Smoked on-and-off for about 25 years and finally quit cold turkey.

Delaying access until the brain is better formed makes all the sense in the world to me.