BOSTON – In an editorial earlier this week, the Boston Globe weighed in on the recent proposal by the town of Westminster, Massachusetts, to ban all sales of tobacco products. Describing the proposal as beyond radical, the Globe editorial writes: “The Westminster Board of Health … has an undeniable point about the dangers of smoking. But there’s a good reason why no other city or town in Massachusetts has ever imposed such a ban. Tobacco is a legal substance that people consume at their own risk. Why stop there? Alcohol can kill; fatty foods and sugary sodas contribute to obesity, a growing health scourge nationally.”

The newspaper’s editorial acknowledges that while the town’s ban would be largely symbolic, it could have very real effects on local businesses. The author cites one Westminster convenience store owner who said tobacco products account for about 6% of his store’s sales — not to mention another 25% or more from sales of items that customers pick up along with a pack of cigarettes when they come into his store. 

The editorial also points out that “there’s no evidence that hobbling those businesses in one town will actually aid public health: If the Westminster Board of Health prevails, there will be plenty of other options for the smokers among its 7,200 residents to buy cigarettes in nearby towns.”

The Westminster Board of Health will hold a public hearing on the proposal next Wednesday, November 12.