Massachusetts
All workplaces, restaurants, and bars in Massachusetts are 100% smokefree as of July 5, 2004. The law has limited exceptions for membership associations and smoking bars, which are defined as bars in which 51% or more of the revenue is generated by the sale of tobacco products. Massachusetts' statewide success was built upon many years of hard work to enact strong smokefree laws at the local level. There were 110 local laws with 100% smokefree provisions when the state law was enacted in 2004-nearly 1/3 of all communities in the state.
Numerous local communities have closed the loophole in the state law that allows smoking in private clubs in order to protect the health of their local residents. Communities are also considering going beyond the state law's protections to expand smokefree air to other venues, including outdoor patio dining areas and other outdoor areas where people gather.
The 2010 Legislature has proposed several bills for smokefree cars when children are present, smokefree public housing units for the elderly, and tobacco-free pharmacies.
Read more about current tobacco-related legislation in Massachusetts.
ANR has additional information on Massachusetts economic impact and public opinion data.
Massachusetts' 2010 Legislative Session: January 3, 2010 - January 4, 2011(est.)
State Quitline Number: 1-800-TRY-TO-STOP (English) and 1-800-8-DEJALO (Spanish & Portuguese)
State Law Compliance Information and Complaints: 1-800-992-1895 or by online form.
American Cancer Society Quitline: 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669)
| Smokefree News |
| Hospital announces complete smoking ban PUTNAM — Effective Sept. 1, smoking will not be allowed anywhere on Day Kimball Healthcare properties, including buildings, grounds, parking areas or inside vehicles parked at the facility. ... EDITORIAL: Boston should ban smoking in all public-housing units BANNING SMOKING in multifamily housing is the next frontier of the anti-tobacco movement, and Boston's plan to enact such a restriction in its 64 public housing developments within the next three years would intrude, to some extent, on residents' personal choices. But while residents deserve to make their own health decisions, their actions shouldn't burden their neighbors with second-hand smoke and fuel a burgeoning asthma epidemic. With all due respect to those who feel they should have the right to light up in their own homes, the city should aggressively follow through with the ban. . . . Even though the proposal is only in its beginning stages, Boston Housing Authority staff have already fielded calls from other cities wondering how they, too, can adopt such a measure. This puts Boston in a unique position. If the city follows through with its proposal, Boston can enhance the lives of its own residents while striking a meaningful blow against one of the nation's most deadly, and most easily correctible, public-health problems: smoking. ... Somerset wants to ban e-cigarettes The town is taking a pre-emptive move against non-tobacco nicotine products -- often called e-cigarettes -- by requiring stores to obtain a license to sell them and prohibiting their use where smoking is already banned. The new regulations will go into effect on Sept. 1. The Board of Health gave approval last week. There are no known stores in Somerset that sell the non-tobacco products targeted under the regulations, but the Fall River area tobacco cessation and prevention coordinator, Marilyn Edge, has been urging area towns to put regulations in place. Taunton recently approved similar rules, but other area communities have yet to do so, she said. ... Wayland Housing Authority units to become smoke-free By the spring of 2011, smoking will be history throughout Cochituate Village Apartments, Bent Park, and all the single and multi-family homes operated under the auspices of the Wayland Housing Authority. After two public hearings in June, the five-member Housing Authority voted unanimously on July 15 to institute a blanket prohibition on smoking in all 111 of its apartments and the 20 scattered-site homes they operate in town. The ban goes into effect on May 1, 2011. Currently, public areas of the units are smoke-free. According to Brian Boggia, executive director of the Housing Authority, the impetus to initiate the ban arose from the tenants. ... More banning e-cigarettes BHA pushes for smoke-free housing Meena Carr figured out years ago why her young grandson, Malik, was chronically coughing and wheezing: Her home made him sick. Carr, 69, didn't smoke cigarettes, but some of her neighbors in the Washington-Beech housing development did, often in the hallway. The smell permeated Carr's apartment. Last month, Washington-Beech in Roslindale became the city's first smoke-free public housing development. Today, Carr plans to join other community leaders, public officials, and housing advocates to discuss the Boston Housing Authority's more ambitious long-term objective -- clearing the air by 2013 at all 64 public housing developments. That positions Boston to become the first city in Massachusetts, and perhaps the largest housing authority nationwide, to impose such a ban. Under the proposal, still in its initial stages, about 27,000 residents in 12,000 units would be prohibited from smoking in common areas and their own apartments. "This new initiative will go a long way to encourage more healthy living styles for our residents,'' said Mayor Thomas M. Menino . . . Today's meeting at Suffolk University is being billed by officials as a "summit'' to launch the campaign. Details, including how a ban would be phased in and how violators would be punished, are still unclear. Housing officials say the process will include community debate and a public comment period. By January, they hope to submit a proposal to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Nationwide, about 170 public housing authorities -- roughly 5 percent -- have instituted some kind of no-smoking policy … Senate passes casino bill with boost for Mashpee tribe Mass. Senate casino bill would allow smoking Six senators want Mass. to fold on gambling proposal In their quest to limit the impact of expanded gambling -- if not defeat the proposal altogether -- several local senators are crying foul over the Senate's plan to exempt casinos from the state's bans on smoking and discounted alcohol. . . . The Legislature in 2004 approved a ban on smoking in virtually all restaurants, bars and other workplaces. The Senate's expanded gambling bill, however, would allow a casino operator to set aside 25 percent of its casino gaming floor as a smoking section, provided that it is properly marked and ventilated. State regulations imposed by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission also prevent restaurants and bars from offering discounted drinks to entice patrons. The rules have essentially outlawed happy hours in the Bay State, forcing restaurants to use other gimmicks, such as discounted appetizers, to lure customers. The gaming bill, however, would create a special alcohol license for casinos permitting them to continue the popular practice of serving free drinks to patrons who are actively gambling. "How bizarre that we as a state that took a firm stand against secondhand smoke would blithely cave in to gaming interests and permit it in casinos, exposing their workers and customers to secondhand smoke," Fargo said. ... Senators halt debate on casinos
Casino proposals floated BOSTON - Casinos would be forced to close at midnight and would be banned from giving away alcohol or allowing smoking. The odds of winning would be posted on slot machines. The state's wire-tapping laws would be updated to help break up any organized crime that could accompany casinos. Those are just several of the ideas offered by state senators in 164 proposed amendments to the Senate Ways and Means bill to legalize three casino resorts around the state, including one for a region defined as the four counties of Western Massachusetts. The full Senate is scheduled to begin debate on the bill today. Debate could last as long as three days. Many of the amendments are aimed at shielding people from potential problems with gambling. Many could also be rejected by the state Senate. ... Everett board bans sale of tobacco in drugstores Starting next week, smokers will find it a little less convenient to pick up a pack of cigarettes in Everett. Hoping to deliver another blow against smoking, the Board of Health on May 24 voted unanimously to ban the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies. The ban, which takes effect next Tuesday, also applies to business establishments that include pharmacies, according to Heidi Porter, Everett’s public health director. “Pharmacies and drugstores that sell tobacco products are essentially approving of the purchase and use of tobacco. And we think that sends a mixed message to consumers who are going to these pharmacies really for health care services,’’ Porter said, of what prompted the ban. “The bottom line is that these pharmacies are health care establishments.’... Amherst Smoking Ban In Effect On a dry sunny day, the patio at The Pub restaurant in Amherst is the place to be, but not for smokers. The town of Amherst is telling patrons that if they plan on lighting up with their meal, they'd better go somewhere else. "Hopefully, it's something that people become accustomed to and find it to be the way," Pub manager Aaron Jolly said. A new law went into effect June 1st banning smoking in the outdoor seating area at local restaurants. The ban also stops smoking at all town-owned playgrounds, swimming pools, and at athletic fields during registered events. Many Amherst residents are looking forward to not having to deal with second hand smoke. "I don't like it. I ask to be moved, I think it's very annoying when one is having dinner and have to smell someone elses smoke," Amherst resident Robert Repetto said. ... Amherst tightens smoking rules AMHERST - Beginning June 1, smoking will be banned on all town-owned playgrounds and swimming areas and on town-owned athletic fields during registered events, as more stringent smoking regulations go in to effect. After nearly two years of review, the Board of Health last month approved the new regulations. ... Private clubs in Milford forced to ban smoking MILFORD — If you're looking for a bar where you can light up, there are a few more places you can now cross off the list. As of July 1, all private clubs in town will have to ban smoking in their bar areas, a rule the Board of Health approved last week. In a 2-1 vote, Board of Health members decided to close the gap on establishments that allow smoking in bars, including places like the Italian War Veterans and Marchegiano clubs. According to Board of Health member Lenny Izzo, the board has received "numerous" phone calls from club members, bartenders and managers about smoking, asking the board to bring the topic back up for discussion. ... Worcester looks to toughen smoking rules Smoking rules could tighten If Natick Town Meeting members approve changes to the town's bylaws, smoking in nursing homes, assisted-living centers and hospitals will be banned in town, unless facilities get special permission. While the state prohibits smoking in most public buildings, the smoking regulations allow for smoking in some medical facilities. Other area towns have similar sections in their bylaws. In Milford, for instance, hospitals and nursing homes prohibit smoking. When the state law was crafted it originally included a section banning smoking in medical facilities, but that provision did not make it into the final version, said Jim White, director of Natick's Health Department. ... Danvers selectmen nix public smoking ban Danvers — The Board of Selectmen gave an unfavorable recommendation to a citizens’ petition to stop smokers from congregating near public entrances of office buildings and retail stores, which may be the kiss of death at Town Meeting. Petitioner John Zavaglia had been turned down in 2007 in his attempt to make Danvers Square and other busy areas of town less hazardous to one’s health, particularly those with asthma, allergies, heart disease and more. The board members talked about the imprecision of his petition, which has to pass muster with the Attorney General’s Office. ... Maushope residents in Provincetown seek smoking ban PROVINCETOWN — Second-hand cigarette smoke in the town-owned senior citizen apartment complex here is drawing attention from housing officials and state Rep. Sarah Peake. Complaints from several non-smoking residents living in Maushope, the 24-unit subsidized senior apartment building at 44 Harry Kemp Road, led to a meeting with Provincetown Housing Authority members recently. And Peake has been looking into possible relief at the state level. Maushope resident Towanda de Nagy McClure has written to both the housing authority, which manages Maushope, and Gov. Deval Patrick, asking that smokers be stopped from moving into Maushope until new policies can be enacted. She said two resident who are heavy smokers are causing second-hand smoke to circulate in the building. “During the daytime, the second-hand smoke drifts up to the atrium and into the open living room windows and doors of the other tenants,” McClure wrote in a letter to Patrick. In another letter to the housing authority, she wrote, “Since ‘no smoking’ in public housing is getting a lot of press lately, it would be nice if the Provincetown Housing Authority was a leader in banning smoking in public housing, at least on the Cape.” ... Plan for smoking ban revised AMHERST - The Board of Health has dropped a proposal to ban smoking on the Town Common during events requiring a permit. The board has been reviewing the town's smoking regulations for nearly two years, said Health Director Julie Federman. The board held a public hearing in February and collected comments until the middle of March. The board is still considering whether to ban smoking outdoors at restaurants where restaurant employees serve customers. ... Board of Health changes reach of proposed smoking ordinance The committee decided to not include the widely used Amherst Commons in the proposed bylaws, which would ban smoking outside some businesses and at public events, as well as at town parks. The Board voted instead to leave the Commons off the areas where smoking would potentially be banned until it conducts further research on the feasibility of such measures. On February 25, the Board of Health held an open Town Meeting for community members and business owners to discuss the prospective bill. Our view: Salem councilors right in rejecting smoking ban A Salem City Council committee took the wiser course Tuesday in rejecting a proposal to ban smoking in the city's public housing units. For one thing, as Assistant City Solicitor Jerry Parisella advised, the council lacks jurisdiction to impose rules on the tenants of these units, which were built and are operated with state funds. A smoking ban has been a longtime cause of Councilor at large Thomas Furey who introduced a similar resolution shortly after being elected to the council 16 years ago. He feels his cause is bolstered by the fact Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has proposed a similar measure for public housing units in that city. But just how far are we prepared to let government go in dictating what people can do in their own homes? ... Smoking ordinance up for review, public comment Events on the Town Common and at other public outdoor spaces in town, such as Kendrick and Sweetser parks, could be entirely smoke free under new regulations being developed by the town's Board of Health. But with these changes comes the possibility that nonprofit organizations that run these events, such as the Taste of Amherst and the Community Fair, could be subject to financial penalties if those attending do not comply with the new rules. Amendments to the Amherst Regulation Prohibiting Smoking In Workplaces and Public Places, which would prohibit smoking in outdoor places where food is served, in public playgrounds and within 20 feet of municipal buildings, are continuing to move forward. At a recent hearing on changes to the town's smoking bylaw, the Board of Health received comments from more than a dozen people, including from representatives of two organizations that schedule prominent events on the common. ... Smoking crackdown for summer concerts in New Lenox New Lenox concertgoers will be able to enjoy lots of music in the Commons park this summer, but they will have to smoke their cigarettes elsewhere. The village plans to ban smoking in the performing arts pavilion, gazebo, concession stand, restrooms, lawn and walking paths. If you're caught lighting up in these areas, there will be a $25 fine. Smoking sections will be designated on the exterior sidewalks. The ban will be in effect for all public events, not just the popular Triple Play Concert Series. ... Selectmen propose beach smoking ban EASTHAM - At their meeting this week, the board decided to put an article on the May town meeting warrant asking for a prohibition on smoking from June 15 through Labor Day ... Beacon Hill Roll Call BAN SMOKING IN SOME SENIOR HOUSING (H 1181) - The House gave initial approval to a bill requiring local housing authorities to provide for nonsmoking buildings in multi-building senior housing complexes or for a no-smoking floor in single-building senior housing. Local doctor asks Board of Health to ban sale of cigarettes in Walpole pharmacies Calling the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies contradictory, Board of Health members will look into banning the sale of cigarettes in Walpole stores that also sell prescription medication. Walpole resident Dr. Joseph Dorsey presented the topic to the board at their meeting Tuesday night, arguing it didn't make sense that pharmacies, which sell products to improve people's health, would peddle tobacco products. The board has scheduled a public hearing at their next meeting to discuss changing town regulations to forbid stores with pharmacies from selling tobacco products. Health Director Robin Chapell said businesses would have to choose between selling cigarettes or prescriptions. Boston, Needham, Newton and Uxbridge have passed similar measures statewide. ... Clubs' smoking ban ignites debate WEBSTER — Debate about the Board of Health’s decision to ban smoking in private clubs ignited last night during a meeting in the Police Department. Representatives from two of the seven private clubs that allow smoking questioned the board, whose 2-1 vote on Feb. 1 forbids smoking in private establishments effective Monday. ... Woman loses second-hand smoke case A Suffolk County jury yesterday rejected a Boston woman's suit contending that her real estate broker misled her by concealing that a downstairs neighbor smoked cigarettes, in one of the first such lawsuits to go to trial in Massachusetts. After deliberating less than an hour, the 14-member jury sided with the broker from Gibson Sotheby's International Realty over Alyssa Burrage, who said that tobacco fumes from the condominium below the one she bought for $405,000 aggravated her asthma, according to Jay S. Gregory, the Boston lawyer for the broker and real estate firm. During the weeklong trial, Burrage, a 32-year-old advertising company employee, and her parents testified that they noticed the smell of smoke when they repeatedly visited the condo in Boston's South End in 2006. The broker, Joseph DeAngelo, told them that the seller must be a smoker and the stench would disappear, said Burrage. ... Public housing faces smoking ban But Eugene Capoccia, executive director for the Leominster and Lunenburg housing authorities, wants to eliminate smoking in public housing starting with the Pearl Brook apartments. Once the policy is worked out for Lunenburg, Capoccia said he would like to implement one in Leominster's public housing units as well. "I've been pushing for it for quite some time because almost two years ago we had a fire in Lunenburg (in) which ... eight units were destroyed, there were a number of people displaced permanently, and one man lost his life," Capoccia said. "We feel pretty strongly about ending smoking in our senior housing." The state Department of Housing and Community Development sent Capoccia an e-mail recently giving him permission to submit a proposal outlining details of the no-smoking proposal and how it would be enforced, he said. ... Clubs rue ban board voted in For Donald J. Cristina, a recent ban on smoking in private clubs is more than about lighting up. "It's about rights that veterans fought and died to get," the five-year member of American Legion Post 184 on Houghton Street said Friday. The Board of Health voted 2-1 Monday to ban smoking in private clubs. The ban goes into effect March 1. ... Mayor Thomas Menino lights up battle of the butt Smoking ban for town beaches? EASTHAM — Selectmen, after receiving several letters from townspeople, agreed Wednesday to place an article on town meeting warrant to ban smoking on town beaches. They plan to limit smoking to beach parking lots. “I don’t want to debate the merits of smoking or not on beaches, Selectman Carol Martin said. “I’d support putting that question to the voters.” ... Hearing on smoking ban draws no fire in Ayer The town is one step closer to banning smoking at the town beach and park after the Board of Health's public hearing on the matter yielded no public feedback. The Board of Health held a public hearing last night regarding the proposed smoking ban. The proposal calls for a fine of up to $300 for violators. The hearing drew three people, including Supervisor of Parks Jeff Thomas, who was there in case parks-related questions came up. None of the audience members spoke. ... Massachusetts' 'Model' Tobacco Cessation Benefit Spurs Unprecedented Drop in Smoking Rates, Heart Attacks, Asthma, and Birth Complications A "model" tobacco cessation benefit offered to Massachusetts' Medicaid participants has produced an astounding 26% drop in smoking rates in only two and a half years, and has already been linked to decreases in heart attacks, hospitalizations for asthma and COPD, and a significant decrease in birth complications. Researchers from the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP) found that up to 38% fewer MassHealth cessation benefit users were hospitalized for heart attacks in the first year after using the benefit, and that 18% fewer benefit users visited the emergency room for asthma symptoms in the first year after using the benefit. Researchers also found that there were 12% fewer claims for adverse maternal birth complications since the benefit was implemented. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services said more than 75,000 people -- a full 40% of MassHealth members who smoke -- have used the benefit to try to quit smoking. Cost savings are being studied, and all indications suggest they will be significant. "As the nation debates the future of its health care system, the national significance of this research cannot be understated," said Robert J. Gould, PhD, President and CEO of Partnership for Prevention, a national organization that advances policies and practices to prevent disease and improve the health of all Americans. "These findings demonstrate that prudent investments in preventive health today will have a dramatic and positive effect on our health care system tomorrow." ... Newton aldermen snuff out tobacco in pharmacies Newton — The Board of Aldermen approved a ban forbidding pharmacies from selling tobacco products in the city by a wide margin Monday night. The measure passed without discussion. In an 18-3 vote, members approved the ban, which supporters said was intended to prevent those in the public health business from selling cigarettes and other tobacco items. Aldermen Bill Brandel, Amy Sangiolo and Jay Harney cast the only nay votes against the ban. ... Falmouth voters OK ban on beach smoking Voters at last night's town meeting gave a big thumbs down to those who like to light up on the town's public beaches. Smoking is no longer allowed on any of the town's 11 public beaches, following a 128-60 vote that makes Falmouth the third community on the Cape to snuff out smoking on municipal beaches. Proponents of the ban cited litter in the form of errant cigarette butts in the sand, as well as the harm caused by secondhand smoke, as the main reasons to pass the smoking ban warrant item. . . . In the end, a majority of town meeting voters said they were tired of "inconsiderate" people on the beach who refuse to move even after complaints and throw cigarette filters in the sand, where young children often find them while building sand castles. VIDEO: Heavy smoking on Mass. college campuses 22News takes a hard look at cigarette smoking on Western Massachusetts college campuses. And that's just the butts that weren't properly discarded. Students attending Holyoke Community College told 22News, "It's tough not becoming a smoker in this day and age. Holly Frederick told 22News "she started smoking because her father smokes". Nick Duclos told 22News, "It's hard not lighting up when all your friends are smokers". ... Falmouth to vote on beach smoking ban Voters at Monday's annual town meeting could make all of Falmouth's 11 town beaches smoke-free if they approve a recommendation from Beach Supt. Donald Hoffer and the Falmouth Beach Committee. If it passes, Falmouth will become the third Cape town, in addition to Barnstable and Yarmouth, to ban tobacco products from all public beaches, Hoffer said. "Cigarette butts and filters end up in the sand, thousands of them every year, and they're not biodegradable," Hoffer said. "We'd be ridding the beaches of noxious debris." The warrant article -- one of 32 voters will decide on Monday -- stemmed from a unanimous 5-0 vote from the beach committee and simply states "the use of smoking materials on the public beaches of Falmouth is prohibited." Newton takes public comment on extinguishing pharmacy tobacco sales Residents can butt in at an aldermen meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4 about a proposal to ban tobacco from being sold at CVS and other city pharmacies. "We wanted to give a chance for the public to weigh in on an important issue," said Alderman Ted Hess-Mahan, one of the proposal's sponsors. The ban would be similar to ones in Boston, Uxbridge and Needham ... Ayer smoking ban may soon include fines But exposing young children to cigarette smoke is another matter, said Mayo, a town Parks Commissioner who inspired the board to ban smoking at the park and Sandy Pond Beach this summer. Now, the Board of Health is teaming up with the Parks Commission to put more teeth into the regulation, possibly instituting some fines for violators. The Ayer Board of Health is expected to discuss nuts and bolts of its potential smoking regulation at its biweekly meeting scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9. The purpose of the proposal is to add an enforcement component to the smoking ban that the Parks Commission adopted in August. The commission recently had smoke-free signs up at the beach and park, but that's the extent of what the panel can do, according to Jeff Thomas, the town's parks supervisor. Smoking ban in Ayer covers the great outdoors It was a recent trip to the park that finally did it. Jason Mayo watched as a father pushed his child on a swing, cigarette clenched between his teeth. On every upswing, the child got a face full of exhaled smoke. "We can't tell people how to parent,'' said Mayo, a member of the Ayer parks and recreation committee, which has banned smoking in the town's recreation areas. "But all the other kids around him were inhaling that cigarette too.'' Ayer's parks and recreation committee implemented its outdoor ban in August, and the panel may also pursue a bylaw at the spring Town Meeting. In a more sweeping stroke, the town's Board of Health is pursuing a regulation that would apply the prohibition to all town-owned property and land and impose a $100 fine on offenders. The board has set a public hearing on the subject for January. Editorial: Smoking bans extended Proposal would send Newton pharmacy tobacco sales up in smoke Stage set for smoking ban The City Council voted unanimously last night to petition the city's Statehouse delegation to change the law that allows performers to smoke on stage during performances. The motion was made by City Councilor Rita Mercier at the behest of Pawtucketville resident Dick Sousa. Sousa explained that he has attended plays at the Merrimack Repertory Theater for several years. Last year, there was one play during which the actors smoked on stage. This year there were two. He said he has serious medical conditions and cannot be in an enclosed space where there is cigarette smoke. Therefore, he has been forced to end his subscription. "I'm thinking of the word prop," said Mercier. "There are electric cigarettes that can do the job just fine. Use a prop and save a lung." $100 fine proposed for drivers who smoke with kids in car Drivers smoking with children in the car would face $100 fines for each child under legislation that got a push in committee Thursday. Rep. Denis Guyer’s bill (H 3233) imposes fines of at least $100 for each child. Drivers could duck the fine by performing five hours of community service or taking tobacco education or cessation courses. Children, who breathe more quickly than adults, are particularly at risk of suffering second-hand smoke side effects, said Dr. Mona Sharifi, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital. A child sitting in a car for roughly 10 minutes breathes in the equivalent of what a firefighter breathes during hours battling wildfires, she said. “It’s the one environmental exposure that stands out above the rest,” Sharifi said. ... Board of Health eyes smoke-free buffer zone The Amherst Board of Health is considering a ban on smoking within 15 feet of town-owned buildings and in recreational areas. But the board is reluctant to extend the ban to include outdoor restaurant tables, conservation areas and the town common. Amherst was a pioneer in banning smoking in bars in the late 1990s, and the Board of Health took an enormous amount of grief for that move. But it turned out that Amherst was ahead of its time, as all smoking in bars, restaurants and workplaces was banned in Massachusetts in 2004. About 20 to 35 cities and towns have established no-smoking "buffer zones" around public buildings, according to D.J. Wilson, tobacco control director for the Massachusetts Municipal Association, who is advising the Board of Health. The buffer zones range from 10 feet to 25 feet. "The thinking is that people shouldn't have to go through a gauntlet of smokers when it's the only way to achieve services" such as dog licenses, passports and landfill permits, he said. Danvers High smoking ban fuels concerns DANVERS — Now that Danvers High has banned smoking by students on streets and sidewalks around the school, some are wondering whether the move is legal. "I do have a question about how far they can extend out their authority," said Sarah Wunsch, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. "Are they going to push the problem one block away and move the problem to another street corner?" Wunsch said the issue raises questions about the school's authority to regulate students smoking off school grounds. Town tobacco control regulations are silent about controlling smoking off school property, Public Health Director Peter Mirandi said. ... Landlords, owners setting smoke-free policies Belmont, Mass. - With demand for smoke-free housing on the rise, an increasing number of landlords, management companies and condominium associations are implementing smoke-free policies. A smoke free building is an amenity that the vast majority of residents now want. Some residents are concerned about the health effects. Others simply do not want to smell smoke drifting in from a neighboring unit. The trend towards smoke free rules is not surprising. A 2009 marketing survey conducted in Massachusetts found that 81% of prospective residents are immediately less interested in an apartment or condominium unit, if they smell tobacco smoke. Since all workplaces in Massachusetts went smoke free in 2005, residents may be asking themselves why they should be bothered by secondhand smoke at home. For landlords, it makes sense. They see more interest in their rental properties and reduce their maintenance costs. Repainting smoke-stained walls, patching flooring burned by cigarettes and otherwise abating the stench of stale cigarette smoke is costly. By implementing a no smoking rule, landlord save hundreds even thousands of dollars. In fact, in a recent survey of Massachusetts landlords, 99% of them who had implemented a no smoking rule said it was a good decision. Over 90% of the landlords in the survey also said the rule was “self-enforcing.” ... Danvers tries to ban sidewalk, street smoking DANVERS, Mass. - Smoking has already been banned at Danvers High School, and now, there’s a push to stop people from smoking on nearby streets and sidewalks. The School Committee voted this week to prohibit students from smoking during school hours on streets and sidewalks within sight of the Cabot Road high school, according to the office of the superintendent. The move comes in response to what Principal Murray said was a growing number of complaints from area residents about students who get together to smoke at the corner of Cabot Road and Exeter Street, which is right across from the school’s front entrance. ... |
Media |
State Resources |