Proliferation Of Smoke Shops In North Thompsonville Section Of Enfield

ENFIELD, CT — What do seven commercial buildings on the northern segment of Enfield Street, which formerly contained such businesses as an alterations shop, an ice cream parlor, a liquor store, a graphics firm, an electrical supplier and a diner, all have in common? They now all house smoke shops, which have become prevalent in the North Thompsonville area over the past three years.

A ban by the state of Massachusetts on the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, was enacted on June 1, 2020, and has resulted in a boon of smoke shops appearing in the first mile of Route 5 in Enfield.

From the state line to the North Thompsonville Fire Department on the corner of Brainard Road, a stretch of nine-tenths of a mile or 4,752 feet, there are now seven such retailers. Some have been in business for a number of years, including Vibrations, Northern Lights and Smoke N Munch. Others, such as Voltage Vape Shop, Smoke Land, Smoke Zone and Bogey's, have appeared more recently.

"Massachusetts currently bans the sale of all flavored tobacco and nicotine products, including flavored electronic cigarettes (vaping) and menthol cigarettes," Enfield Director of Economic & Community Development Nelson Tereso told Patch. "Connecticut does not have these restrictions. North Thompsonville has easy access to I-91 which travels directly north into Massachusetts, which makes this area very desirable for smoke shops."

A canvass of the shops by Patch Monday revealed a vast majority of the vehicles in their parking lots bore Massachusetts plates.