Several updates to Saugus’ tobacco regulations have retail groups sending letters of opposition to the Board Health as it looks to restrict tobacco sales for some stores. The new regulation, which is expected to be discussed tonight, bans tobacco sales in Saugus’ six pharmacies, restricts cigar sales unless the cigar is in a pack of four or priced more than $2.50 and bans the use of electronic cigarettes in public places, among other provisions, according to Public Health Director Frank Giacalone. In a letter to Giacalone, Brian Houghton, Vice President of the Massachusetts Food Association, said the proposal to ban tobacco sales in pharmacies “unfairly targets a small percentage of outlets” and “forces customers to take their business elsewhere.”
Houghton, whose group represents Stop & Shop in Saugus, reiterated this in a phone interview Thursday. “You’re not addressing the issue of smoking cessation or sales to minors, you’re just simply transferring the sale of a legal product to another establishment,” said Houghton. “It not only takes those sales away, but any foot traffic that folks may have if they were going into those establishments to buy their tobacco products.” Giacalone defended the regulation, saying that since pharmacies are health-service providers, they shouldn’t be selling cigarettes.
“The board is pretty passionate about tobacco and nicotine products being sold out there and getting them out of the pharmacies makes them provide more of a service to prevent cigarette smoking, which leads to a slew of health effects,” said Giacalone. He noted similar regulations are already in effect in Boston, Worcester and Lowell. The New England Service Station and Auto Repair Association has also came out in opposition to the regulation, more specifically the new cigar provision. Matthew LeLacheur, Executive Director of NESSARA, wrote in a letter to the Board of Health that the proposal “would adversely impact our adult customers who legally purchase tobacco products.”
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