Letter: Raising Age for Nicotine Access Save LivesLetter to the Editor,
12:30PM / Monday, July 07, 2025 | |
To the Editor:
Nicotine Free Generation (NFG) is a statewide proposal to very, very slowly raise the age that licensed nicotine dealers are permitted to sell to young people. For example, a town might change the minimum age from 21 to "those born before January 1, 2026." My own town successfully adopted NFG in December. Over 500,000 Massachusetts residents already live in NFG municipalities.
I spoke last week in support of NFG, and pointed out the seamless implementation in my community. My 14-year-old grandson said about one-third of his peers smoke or vape or suck on addictive nicotine pouches. For all of them, their distribution is illegal. Widespread breaking of the law is obviously a bad lesson for our young people.
Boards of health need to weigh a tiny reduction in nicotine sales to the near-certainty that enacting NFG will save many lives. For most of us, protecting public health is the reason we serve.
Ken Elstein
Belchertown, Mass.
Elstein is a member of the Belchertown Board of Health. Belchertown was the first community in Western Massachusetts to adopt nicotine-free generation regulations last year. The Pittsfield Board of Health has been considering NFG regulations.
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