Somerville Moves To Restrict E-Cig, Menthol Sales

SOMERVILLE, MA – The Board of Health last week voted to restrict the sale of e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes to 21 and over tobacco retailers. Somerville is the first municipality in the state to pass such regulations, according to a press release. The regulations will go into effect April 1.

While e-cigarettes can be helpful for those transitioning off traditional tobacco products, concerns have arisen over their use among young people as an introduction to nicotine. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, e-cigarettes can harm the developing adolescent brain and research indicates that youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to continue using cancer-causing nicotine or tobacco products long-term.

Despite these risks, the national 2018 Youth Tobacco Survey shows teen e-cigarette rose from 2.1 million in 2017 to 3.6 million this year, reflecting an increase of 78 percent among high school students and 48 percent among middle school students.

Due to the risks and rapid rise in e-cigarette use among teenagers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently enacted new regulations designed to restrict youth access to e-cigarettes, announced proposed new rules aimed at further reducing youth access and appeal, and indicated it would be seeking a ban on menthol in all tobacco products, which has been shown to have a similar appeal to youth.

Meanwhile, the usage data in Somerville reflects the national trends. The City’s 2018 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that while self-reported alcohol and traditional cigarette use in Somerville teens is declining, reported e-cigarette use almost doubled between 2016 and 2018. In that time, e-cigarette use rose from 7 percent to 13 percent total for middle and high school students, with 16 percent of high school seniors using e-cigs. In comparison, only 3% of students reported smoking traditional cigarettes.

"These products are being shamelessly marketed to teens, who have become their biggest users without fully understanding the health risks, which is why we’ve seen the Surgeon General calling for significant interventions to end this building public health crisis," Mayor Joseph Curtatone said in a statement. "In Somerville, we are rising to that challenge by becoming an early adopter of these regulations and taking the necessary steps to stop the cycle of nicotine addiction among our young."

The effort to introduce menthol and e-cigarette restrictions was the result of collaboration within the Somerville Health and Human Services Department and other community public health, substance abuse, and tobacco prevention specialists. Community members testified at the public hearing both in support of the changes and against, with local retailers expressing their concerns about the potential financial impact on their business due to the loss of selling menthol products.

In addition to the new regulations, the City’s Office of Prevention has been hosting student focus groups, discussions, and school assemblies on the dangers of vaping/e-cigarette use. In the new year, they will continue to host workshops, including focus groups for parents and multi-lingual discussions for students.

"Through both our education and outreach efforts as well as these regulations, we are reinforcing our commitment to protect our youth from the effects of early nicotine exposure and tobacco use on brain development as well as the lifelong impacts on health and well-being," Director of Health and Human Services Doug Kress said in a press release.

Elements from a city of Somerville press release were used in this story. Image via Shutterstock