Massachusetts lawmakers plan to introduce a bill that would ban people born after a certain date in the future from buying cigarette goods, potentially making the state the first to implement such an intergenerational cigarette ban.
Halfwhelel reported on Nov. 26 that Massachusetts Sen. Jason Lewis, Rep. Tommy Vitolo, and Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian plan to introduce a bill People born after a certain date are prohibited from buying cigarette goods.
The report did not specify a specific deadline set by these lawmakers but indicated that the bill does not intend to take away the right to buy from anyone in the current legal age group. The bill is due to be introduced next year.
Massachusetts is not the first state to introduce intergenerational cigarette ban legislation, but it may be the first to successfully pass it. The state is reportedly one of the least tobacco-friendly states in the country, with a top-10 cigar tax rate and one of only two states to successfully ban some flavored cigarette products.
Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Supreme Court upheld a law passed by the city of Brookline that prohibits people born after Jan. 1, 2000, from buying any cigarette products and e-cigarettes. The move piqued the interest of other lawmakers in the state, where Peabody shelved a similar proposal last month amid loud opposition.
In 2018, Massachusetts became the sixth state to raise the minimum age to buy cigarette goods to 21. Next year, it could become the first state to pass an intergenerational cigarette ban.
