Concerns Raised About Underage Smokers’ Access To Cheap Cigars
The recent failure of 11 stores throughout Bourne to pass a semi-annual tobacco sales compliance check has placed a spotlight squarely on the issue of selling tobacco products to minors and the uses for which those products are being bought. In some cases, young people may be smoking to satisfy a nicotine fix. County and town health officials have also noted that youngsters are combining some tobacco products with marijuana.
In Bourne, the town health regulations governing smoking identify a minor as anyone under the age of 18. The town last amended its regulations on tobacco and smoking in August 2012. At the time, the board noted findings by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that nicotine was “as addictive as cocaine or heroin.”