Tobacco and E-cigarettes

News/Updates

Updated Newton Regulations

HHS has amended the Newton Regulation Governing Tobacco and Nicotine Delivery Product Sales and Permits. The amended version will take effect 4/3/23. The amended regulation retires tobacco product sales permits that are not renewed within 30 days after expiration, clarifies the permitting process for when there is a change in ownership of a retail establishment, and removes location restrictions for new applicants. A copy of the full regulation can be obtained here.

Statewide Mint/Menthol Restrictions

On November 27, 2019, Governor Baker signed into law “An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control.” As of June 1, 2020, the following sections of the state law went into effect. These include:

Prohibiting the sale of all flavored tobacco and vape products, including menthol and mint (except in certain types of stores prohibited in Newton)

Imposing an excise tax on the sale of vaping products;

Requiring that vape product retailers obtain a state license and any required local permit; and

Requiring that vape product distributors obtain a state license

Get Help to Quit Smoking/Vaping

My Life My Quit: Call or text "Start my Quit: to 855-891-9989 - Reach youth specialists trained to help young people quit by phone or text. Also online at mylifemyquit.com

Aspire: aspire2.mdanderson.org - This free bi-lingual online program will help you learn about being tobacco and nicotine free and provide support to quit

Smoke Free Teen: teen.smokefree.gov - Sign up for text messages and the quitSTART app to help you become smoke free and make healthier choices. You can also speak to experts for advice and resources to quit nicotine.

Make Smoking History: 1-800-QUIT-NOW or makesmokinghistory.org - This free confidential helpline offers specialized coaching by phone to quit tobacco and e-cigarette use.

This is quitting: Text "Vapefreemass" to 88709 - This is a free and confidential texting program for young people who vape. In partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Get the facts on e-cigarette use and teens/young adults from the U.S. Surgeon General.

How to Start the Conversation with your teen about not using e-cigarettes.

Check out the new Get Outraged campaign from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health with lots of great information and tips about e-cigarettes.

Information for Newton Tobacco Retailers

Permit Renewal

Instructions to renew tobacco and nicotine delivery product permits can be found here

Infractions/Fines

As a part of Governor Baker’s “An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control” which took effect June 1, 2020, fines for retail tobacco violations have increased (permit suspensions remain the same).

First violation: $1000

Second violation: $2000 and 7-day permit suspension

Third violation: $5000 and 30-day permit suspension

Newton Tobacco Regulations

Below are a selection of Newton's tobacco regulations. Links to full regulations can be found throughout as well as here.

E-Cigarettes

Flavor Restrictions

Within the city of Newton, the sale of flavored tobacco or nicotine products is banned from sale. Tobacco with a “characterizing flavor” has a distinguishable taste or aroma other than tobacco. Flavor restrictions include mint/menthol cigarettes, cigars, chew tobacco, spit tobacco, bidis, and loose tobacco.

A sample list of affected products includes, but are not limited to:

Newport, Kool and Salem menthol cigarettes

Copenhagen, Grizzly and Skoal mint or flavored dip/chew tobacco

Cigars, cigarillos or bidis in fruit, candy, mint, menthol, or liquor flavors

Any other tobacco or vape product that has a taste or aroma other than tobacco

Nicotine products even if they do not contain tobacco

Other Newton Regulations

Blunt Wraps

The sale of blunt wraps (any tobacco product manufactured or packaged as a wrap or as a hollow tube made wholly or in part from tobacco that is designed or intended to be filled by the consumer with loose tobacco or other fillers) is prohibited in Newton.

Cigar Minimum Pricing

Packages of two or more cigars must be priced for retail sale at $5.00 or more.

Smoking Bars

“Smoking Bars” including but not limited to those establishments commonly known as “Hookah Bars,” or “Cigar Bars,” are prohibited in the City of Newton.

Information for Prospective Newton Tobacco Retailers

There are no tobacco sales permits available as the maximum number of permits has been reached. We will not be accepting new permit applications at this time.

If you are acquiring an existing business with a current tobacco sales permit, please review the regulations above and reach out to our office at health@newtonma.gov or 617-796-1420.

Updated 2/22/23

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