At its meeting on Wednesday evening, the Hopkinton, Mass. Board of Health passed a new set of regulations that will prevent anyone born after Jan. 1, 2005 from buying tobacco or nicotine products, creating what is referred to as a generational tobacco ban.
In order to enforce the policy, retailers will also be required to verify the age of every person wanting to purchase tobacco products. In the case of smoking bars or adult only retail tobacco stores, a person must verify the age of every person attempting to enter the business.
Should a retailer sell to a person born after Jan. 1, 2005 three times within a permit year, that retailer runs the risk of not having its tobacco sales permit renewed.
The new regulations will go into effect on July 1. With the passing of the new regulations, Hopkinton joins Newton and Brookline in enacting such generational tobacco bans. Massachusetts state legislators have also introduced bills that would implement a ban at the state level, though those bills have not yet gained much traction.
Hopkinton has an approximate population of 19,000 residents. It is located approximately 27 miles west of Boston and is known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon.
