Community Corner
Westwood Cracks Down on Cigarette Sales
The minimum age to buy cigarettes in Westwood has been raised to 19.
In an effort to curb underage smoking, the Westwood Board of Health voted recently to raise the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 19, the Boston Globe reports.
E-cigarettes and tobacco products marketed specifically to children are included in the stricter regulations.
"But while cigarette use among Massachusetts youth is decreasing, teens and others are turning to other tobacco products at a higher rate, according to Linda Shea, Westwood’s health director. After a presentation on how a variety of new tobacco products target children with their colorful, attractive packaging and sweet or fruity flavors, she said health board members were happy to take the extra initiative," the Boston Globe article said.
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“It really opened their eyes,’’ Shea told the Globe. “I mean, who else would want to smoke grape cigarettes?”
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