Massachusetts town weighs nation's 1st tobacco ban
By AMY CRAWFORD
WESTMINSTER, Mass. (AP) — The cartons of Marlboros, cans of Skoal and packs of Swisher Sweets are hard to miss stacked near the entrance of Vincent's Country Store, but maybe not for much longer: All tobacco products could become contraband if local health officials get their way.
This sleepy central Massachusetts town of 7,700 has become an improbable battleground in America's tobacco wars. On Wednesday, the Board of Health will hear public comment on a proposed regulation that could make Westminster the first municipality in the United States to ban sales of all tobacco products within town lines.
"To my knowledge, it would be the first in the nation to enact a total ban," said Thomas Carr, director of national policy at the American Lung Association. "We commend the town for doing it."
Town health agent Elizabeth Swedberg said a ban seemed like a sensible solution to a vexing problem.
"The tobacco companies are really promoting products to hook young people," she said, pointing to 69-cent bubblegum-flavored cigars, electronic cigarettes and a new form of dissolvable smokeless tobacco that resembles Tic Tac candies. "The board was getting frustrated trying to keep up with this."
Yeah, not so fast there you control freak.
So many people have called Town Hall about the proposal, the Board of Health — whose meetings about septic system updates and mosquito control rarely attract an audience — will hold Wednesday's public hearing in an elementary school cafeteria rather than in its usual second-floor conference room.
Something tells me these elitist sonsabitches may be in for a surprise at that meeting.
Let me tell you something, smokers will stare Death in the face and overcome any obstacle to obtain a cigarette if they are out.
Trust me on this.
If by some miracle this ban passes you can kiss a bunch of little convenience stores goodbye the next day.
The article even states that if it passes people will just drive down the road where it is legal and stock up.
It never ceases to amaze me though that some fucking people have nothing better to do than tell other people how they need to live their lives, constantly.
Who the fuck died and made you the boss of any damn thing?
That first group needs to be locked in a room full of smokers without any cigarettes for 24 hours and if they survive see if they don't suddenly find a new hobby, in a new town, in a hurry.
4 comments:
All this health crap today.....I got news for the "Health" community, No way in hell would I go along with them. Fact is, If I want any crap out of some doctor I will rip the top of his/her head off and dip it out. Ever notice all the health ads on TV? Ever notice all the pop ups on the net regarding your health? Seems to me it is all a big scam. Funny, after all these years the American Cancer Society still has not found a cure for cancer. Know what? They won't either.Why? Well, some things just are. A part of nature, if you will. I'm 75 years old. Haven't seen a doctor in over 20 some years. Me, get cancer? Hell, been there and done that back in the 90's. And guess what? I still smoke. Do I care? Nope, I don't give a damm! When my time is up it is up, period.
Most Mass. people buy their Cigs in NH anyway and smuggle them across the border. Same for booze for that matter. Taxes are much lower in NH. When VT raised its sales tax, NH legislature sent them a thank you note. No kidding.
We have had that situation here for decades.
Vancouver WA is just across the Columbia River from Portland OR, a matter of minutes away.
WA has a Sales Tax, Oregon doesn't.
For major purchases alone you can save hundreds of dollars.
My wife drives over there for our smokes and it pays about half of what they charge around here.
The No Smoking craze has gotten completely out of hand around here too.
They passed a law that says you can't smoke in public within twenty five feet of a storefront, a window vent or any air intake device.
Some people at a popular drinking establishment got out a tape measure and discovered that the only place they could smoke in down town Vancouver was in the middle of the street so they erected barricades and put up one of those pop up canopies right in the middle of Main street and refused to budge for two days.
The actual enforcement arm of the government was the Health Dept but the local PoPo went right ahead and started hassling everybody in sight.
It's ridiculous anymore.
After all the businesses started seeing their profits fall off a cliff and started howling like wounded wild cats the anti smoking Nazi's were forced to accept reality and now a lot of places have covered outdoor smoking areas.
Stupid fuckers anyways.
I do not even smoke,and I can care one rats ass if you do - but what is next? That's right 2nd amendment rights. These freaking A-holes are on a very slippery slope. Good God I am so tired of assholes telling me what is o:k and what is not. For 62 years I have survived without them.
Post a Comment