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Small Town May Ban The Sale Of Tobacco Products

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pbrauer

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A small town in Massachusetts is considering banning the sale of all tobacco products. Resident could still consume the products, but they would need to go elsewhere to purchase them. This is an effort to fight Big Tobacco.

Would you support this?

Massachusetts Town Could Be First in the U.S. to Ban All Tobacco Sales - NBC News

A small town in Massachusetts has become the latest battleground against Big Tobacco. Residents of Westminster will get the chance Wednesday night to debate a health board proposal to ban the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products — potentially making it the first community in the country to snuff out everything from e-cigarettes to flavored cigars. But while public health groups are lauding the proposal, smokers, their advocates and shopkeepers alike are fuming.

"What I find terrifying is government overstepping,” resident and nonsmoker Jennifer Shenk said during a town government meeting Monday, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Westminster’s Board of Health isn’t expected to vote on the issue until after Dec. 1 — the last day for residents to submit public comments.

Shopkeeper Brian Vincent, whose country store on Main Street sells $100,000 worth of tobacco products a year, has collected at least 900 signatures to fight the ban. Vincent said smokers will simply make their purchases in other towns, and probably buy their gas and groceries there as well. “Having other adults decide what legal item we’re not allowed to consume just makes you wonder: If this passes, what could be next? Sugar? Bacon?” he said.

snip

 
A small town in Massachusetts is considering banning the sale of all tobacco products. Resident could still consume the products, but they would need to go elsewhere to purchase them. This is an effort to fight Big Tobacco.

Would you support this?

Massachusetts Town Could Be First in the U.S. to Ban All Tobacco Sales - NBC News

A small town in Massachusetts has become the latest battleground against Big Tobacco. Residents of Westminster will get the chance Wednesday night to debate a health board proposal to ban the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products — potentially making it the first community in the country to snuff out everything from e-cigarettes to flavored cigars. But while public health groups are lauding the proposal, smokers, their advocates and shopkeepers alike are fuming.

"What I find terrifying is government overstepping,” resident and nonsmoker Jennifer Shenk said during a town government meeting Monday, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Westminster’s Board of Health isn’t expected to vote on the issue until after Dec. 1 — the last day for residents to submit public comments.

Shopkeeper Brian Vincent, whose country store on Main Street sells $100,000 worth of tobacco products a year, has collected at least 900 signatures to fight the ban. Vincent said smokers will simply make their purchases in other towns, and probably buy their gas and groceries there as well. “Having other adults decide what legal item we’re not allowed to consume just makes you wonder: If this passes, what could be next? Sugar? Bacon?” he said.

snip


I don't support that at all and I am not a tobacco smoker. Why doesn't that mother just you know be a mother and teach her children instead of banning a legal product. Considering smoking among young kids is at the lowest in 22 years, it doesn't seem like a good enough excuse.

Cigarette smoking among U.S. high school students at lowest level in 22 years | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC


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A small town in Massachusetts is considering banning the sale of all tobacco products. Resident could still consume the products, but they would need to go elsewhere to purchase them. This is an effort to fight Big Tobacco.

Would you support this?

Massachusetts Town Could Be First in the U.S. to Ban All Tobacco Sales - NBC News

A small town in Massachusetts has become the latest battleground against Big Tobacco. Residents of Westminster will get the chance Wednesday night to debate a health board proposal to ban the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products — potentially making it the first community in the country to snuff out everything from e-cigarettes to flavored cigars. But while public health groups are lauding the proposal, smokers, their advocates and shopkeepers alike are fuming.

"What I find terrifying is government overstepping,” resident and nonsmoker Jennifer Shenk said during a town government meeting Monday, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Westminster’s Board of Health isn’t expected to vote on the issue until after Dec. 1 — the last day for residents to submit public comments.

Shopkeeper Brian Vincent, whose country store on Main Street sells $100,000 worth of tobacco products a year, has collected at least 900 signatures to fight the ban. Vincent said smokers will simply make their purchases in other towns, and probably buy their gas and groceries there as well. “Having other adults decide what legal item we’re not allowed to consume just makes you wonder: If this passes, what could be next? Sugar? Bacon?” he said.

snip

Its much better than excessive taxes that basically take advantage of drug addicts.
 
If that state authorizes its municipal governments to adopt ordinances like this, it's not my business or the business of anyone in any other state. However idiotic I think it is, it's their call.
 
Um, no, but then again I don't live in MA (thank doG) so they're free to be as clueless as they want to be. I'd just wish they'd all stop moving to NH.

Smoking is still legal, last I checked.
 
Tobacco is necessarily different from other things like sugar or bacon or pretty much anything else because it not only harms the user (which really shouldn't be restricted), but also harms others who are simply near them when they smoke in public (which should be restricted for the safety of those who aren't choosing to smoke). The article's slippery slope argument is completely invalid.

Meanwhile, a ban of sale is likely the wrong way to accomplish this. Smoke all you like. But do it at home away from everyone else who doesn't want to breathe your poison.
 
Its much better than excessive taxes that basically take advantage of drug addicts.
I don't agree...
excessive taxes could give incentive for the drug addicts to get help.

And I think this law is in violation of liberty. I am not a smoker and I am in support of public smoking bans/etc..... but I think this goes too far.
 
We are making a real mistake looking to prohibition style thinking. There is no real reason for us to conclude that this will result in what the "small town" thinks it will.
 
This will hurt local businesses. No way do I support something like this. Tobacco is legal. Government has no right to outright ban the sale of a legal product to adults.
 
I don't agree...
excessive taxes could give incentive for the drug addicts to get help.

Almost all cigarette smokers are junkies.Excessive taxes are not going to help them quit. Excessive taxes just means they spend more money on cigarettes while the government milks their addiction for every penny they can.

And I think this law is in violation of liberty. I am not a smoker and I am in support of public smoking bans/etc..... but I think this goes too far.
There is no constitutional right to cigarettes.So this idea that it is a violation of liberty is absurd.A ban is certainly more reasonable than a lets take advantage of junkies tax.
 
Smoking is disgusting. It is an awful habit that does nothing but take the money of addicts and then gives them horrible deaths. I hate it when people smoke around me, even outside if you smoke within 10 feet of me I have to walk away. The second hand smoke gives me a headache and makes it harder for me to breathe.

This does not mean that we should ban the sale of these products. This law would be an overstep. However, I do believe that a pubic smoking ban would be justified.
 
Smoking is disgusting. It is an awful habit that does nothing but take the money of addicts and then gives them horrible deaths. I hate it when people smoke around me, even outside if you smoke within 10 feet of me I have to walk away. The second hand smoke gives me a headache and makes it harder for me to breathe.

This does not mean that we should ban the sale of these products. This law would be an overstep. However, I do believe that a pubic smoking ban would be justified.

I don't know... smoking a nice pipe tobacco once in a while is very relaxing. An occasional cigar with friends or maybe on a poker night sounds nice. I haven't smoked in years ... 15 or more now I guess. But I'm looking forward to being an old man puffing on a pipe watching a sunset.
 
A small town in Massachusetts is considering banning the sale of all tobacco products. Resident could still consume the products, but they would need to go elsewhere to purchase them. This is an effort to fight Big Tobacco.

Would you support this?

Massachusetts Town Could Be First in the U.S. to Ban All Tobacco Sales - NBC News

A small town in Massachusetts has become the latest battleground against Big Tobacco. Residents of Westminster will get the chance Wednesday night to debate a health board proposal to ban the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products — potentially making it the first community in the country to snuff out everything from e-cigarettes to flavored cigars. But while public health groups are lauding the proposal, smokers, their advocates and shopkeepers alike are fuming.

"What I find terrifying is government overstepping,” resident and nonsmoker Jennifer Shenk said during a town government meeting Monday, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Westminster’s Board of Health isn’t expected to vote on the issue until after Dec. 1 — the last day for residents to submit public comments.

Shopkeeper Brian Vincent, whose country store on Main Street sells $100,000 worth of tobacco products a year, has collected at least 900 signatures to fight the ban. Vincent said smokers will simply make their purchases in other towns, and probably buy their gas and groceries there as well. “Having other adults decide what legal item we’re not allowed to consume just makes you wonder: If this passes, what could be next? Sugar? Bacon?” he said.

snip


It's not a battle against big Tobacco. They are after all products containing nicotine. They are too stupid and ignorant to understand the benefits to some of nicotine. Sure, we are a very small number compared to the whole. Some of use Vapor and such products to reduce the possibility harm to others, but why should we be reduced to suffering and misery to satisfy their selfishness, foolishness and just plain stupidity?

There intentions may be good, but they are just adding paving stones on the road to hell.
 
Seems incredibly foolish to me. People who want to smoke will still smoke and the only effect of such a ban would be a blow to the local economy. I get that they probably want to cut down on the number of smokers in their community, but banning a perfectly legal product is not the right way to go about it.
 
I bet the small business owners in neighboring towns love this.
 
Its much better than excessive taxes that basically take advantage of drug addicts.

I see nothing wrong with taxing the living hell out of drugs.

These people as they get older inevitably will be struck with some sort of cancer/impairment that requires expensive treatments and if they don't have the money they become a drain on society.

I see the massive taxing of drugs as:

#1 an incentive to not get into them in the first place

#2 paying for your super expensive treatments that taxpayer money goes in to early
 
I see nothing wrong with taxing the living hell out of drugs.

These people as they get older inevitably will be struck with some sort of cancer/impairment that requires expensive treatments and if they don't have the money they become a drain on society.

I see the massive taxing of drugs as:

#1 an incentive to not get into them in the first place

#2 paying for your super expensive treatments that taxpayer money goes in to early
One and two will never happen.Because drug addicts want their drug of choice and governments never spend the money on what they say they will spend it on regarding tobacco taxes.Even if by chance they git cancer and the money they put in paid towards the medical care. The costs of the treatment and other medical care associated with cancer will far exceed what they put it.
 
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