Springfield considers ban on cheap, single-cigar sales as lobbied by youth group

SPRINGFIELD – A City Council committee has scheduled a meeting on Wednesday to hear from residents, health advocates and businesses if there should be further controls on the sale of cigars aimed at cracking down on youth access.

The council's Health and Human Services Committee, chaired by Councilor Bud L. Williams, has scheduled the meeting Wednesday at 4 p.m., at City Hall. It will be the third committee meeting on the cigar issue.

Specifically, there is a proposal by a student activist group to ban the sale of single cigars when priced under $2.50 each. In addition, it would require that any two-pack, three-pack or four-pack sell for at least $5.

The student group -- Springfield REACH 84 Chapter -- has stated that many minors are smoking low-priced cigars and flavored cigars despite such sales being illegal. The ban on low priced cigars should reduce access because the youth will find it difficult to afford, the students have argued.

At past meetings, some store vendors have raised concerns about added restrictions on cigar sales, saying their clerks are well-trained not to sell to minors, and they have concerns about reducing their revenues from legal cigar sales, Williams said.

Any new restriction on the sale of cigars would need approval from the city's Public Health Council. The Health Council welcomes input from the public and the City Council, said Health Commissioner Helen R. Caulton-Harris, who is also a member of the health commission.

The Springfield REACH 84 Chapter, consisting of Springfield students, has advocated for the ban on single-sale cigars costing less than $2.50. Williams said the ban, if approved, would not affect the sale of fine cigars because they would be priced higher.

Caulton-Harris praised the youth group.

"The young advocates are extremely focused on trying to prevent tobacco products used by underage participants," she said.

Williams said he anticipates bringing the issue before the council for its support or opposition at a regular council meeting scheduled Dec. 21.

The 84 is a statewide youth movement against tobacco. Its name reflects the 84 percent of Massachusetts youth who did not smoke when the movement began, according to its web site.

According to the Springfield 84 chapter, a 2010 national survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found that blunt cigars, tip cigars and cigarillos, account for 69.7 percent of cigar smoking among youth. Resource:http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/12/springfield_officials_consider_4.html