Court upholds town bylaw banning anyone born in 21st century from buying tobacco products

[MichMan]

Brookline, Mass. — A Massachusetts town that adopted an unusual ordinance banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born in the 21st century is being looked at as a possible model for other cities and towns hoping to further clamp down on cigarettes and tobacco products.

The bylaw — the first of its kind in the country — was adopted by Brookline in 2020 and last week was upheld by the state’s highest court, opening the door for other communities to adopt similar bans that will, decades from now, eventually bar all future generations from buying tobacco.

The rule, which bans the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2000, went into effect in 2021 in the town of about 60,000 next to Boston.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2024/03/11/court-upholds-town-bylaw-banning-anyone-born-in-21st-century-from-buying-tobacco-products/72935779007/

[SarahD]

1. Wrong!

Adults can buy legal products. Period. This will be struck down federally. If they want to make tobacco illegal, they can make it illegal for everyone.

[KarenS]

2. Prohibition - because it worked so well in the past.

When I say I am pro-choice I mean about everything.

[SCantiGOP]

3. I see no way this can hold up

The Constitution’s Supremacy Clause says that a local cannot supersede State law, and State law can’t supersede Federal law.

[MichMan]

5. If that was true, states couldn't legalize marijuana

[Celerity]

4. the 21st century started on Jan 1, 2001 AD, not Jan 1, 2000 AD, as on Jan 1, 2000 AD only 1999 years had been completed

there was no year zero

and a century is 100 years long

the first 100 years AD ended when Dec 31 100 AD flipped over to Jan 1 101 AD

same goes for decades

the last year of the 1990s, for instance, was the year 2000 AD

and millenniums

the first 1000 years AD ended when Dec 31 1000 flipped over to Jan 1 1001 AD

[MichMan]

6. Still means those born in the 21st fall under the ban

[Celerity]

7. People born January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2000 were not born in the 21st century, so whilst correct that

all those born in the 21st century (Jan 1, 2001 and onward) would be banned, the article still leaves the wrong impression in terms of the actual start date of the 21st century.

The ban also includes born born in 2000 AD, which was the last year of the 1990s, the last year of the 20th century, and the last year of the 2nd millennium.

It is simple maths.

The same goes for when you actually legally attain the next year of age.

You obtain the next age legally the day before your birthday, as you legally complete the full year on the day before you were born.

Example: A person born on June 2, 1923, turned 100 years old (if they were still alive) on June 1 (not June 2) 2023.

I know this to be a legal fact in the US, as an American friend of mine that I went to uni with in Los Angeles was born on November 9, 1998. She was upset as she thought that she would miss out on being to vote in the 2016 US election by one day, as it was held on November 8, 2016. I told her no, she legally turned 18 on November 8, 2016, and thus could vote. Her father called the board of elections and confirmed this, and she did indeed vote in the 2016 US presidential election.