MHOA Tobacco Control Program
Funded through a grant from the Department of Public Health/Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP), the MHOA Tobacco Control Program provides technical assistance to local Boards of Health around issues of tobacco and nicotine delivery product sales and environmental tobacco smoke exposure.
FREE Tobacco Retailer Training For Store Personnel
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in partnership with the Massachusetts Health Officers Association, has developed a free online course to help tobacco retailers teach their employees how to check the ID of a customer who wants to buy tobacco products.
The course shows things to look out for, such as fake ID cards and signs of ID tampering, and explains how and when to refuse a sale.
The online course also describes the current state laws for selling tobacco.
Viewers should take the course on a desktop computer. It takes 20 minutes to complete.
Please feel free to share this link with your retailers:
Guidance Documents for Tobacco Sales Law Implementation
Resources
- Resources For Tobacco Law Implementation (PPT)
- How to Confirm that a Sale of a Tobacco Retail Store Is Legitimate
MTCP Complaint Line: 1-800-992-1895
2019 Tobacco Control Law | Mass.gov:
- Retailer Guidance Letters
- Retailer and Signage Charts
Signage:
- www.mass.gov/maclearinghouse - order free of charge
DOR Complaints:
State Law
- Citations For First Sale Guidance Doc
- Determining Product Coverage By State Law Guidance
- Manufacturer Letter Content Checklist
Adult-Only Retail Tobacco Stores or Retail Tobacco Stores
- Adult Only Retail Tobacco Stores
- Definition Of Incidental In Aorts
- Determining If Adjoining Businesses Are Separate
Inspections and Confiscation
- Banned Product Confiscation
- Contacting Dept Of Revenue
- Enforcement Protocol For Smoking Bars
- Reinspection Guidance
Flavored Products and Flavor Enhancers
- Determining Flavor Enhancers
- Enforcing Restrictions On Flavored Tobacco And Vapes
- Flavor Enforcement
Appeal Hearings
Violation Payments
Hemp, CBD, Delta 8, Marijuana, Rolling Papers, Blunt Wraps, Fronto
Resources from the Spring 2022 Tobacco Conference
Meeting Recording Link:
Materials:
- An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control
- Cbd Delta 8 Rolling Papers Hemp And Fronto
- Changing Landscapes And Resources
- Fda And Dor
- Fda Rule Making Process
- Flavor Determination
- Morning Session Recording
- Resources For Tobacco Law Implementation
- Resources Part Ii
- Retail Tobacco Stores Smoking Bars 1st Sales Hearing Process
- The Nuts And Bolts Of Compliance Checks Intro Joan For Recruitment Violation Follow Up
- Tobacco State Law And Enforcement
Laying a Solid Foundation - Tobacco Laws Pertaining to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Below is a booklet that was designed to introduce public health professionals and others to state and federal tobacco-related laws affecting Massachusetts, as well as the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. This booklet has been recently revised and includes the following chapters: Laws Prohibiting Smoking, Tobacco Product Sales Laws, Health Warning Laws, Tobacco Advertising and Promotion, Tobacco Taxes and Pricing, Legal Authority to Regulate Tobacco Locally, and Working at the Local Level, Emerging Issues and Local Regulation Checklist Templates.
Provided Services
Policy Development
- Developing and promoting model local tobacco regulations/ordinances
- Technical assistance throughout the regulations/ordinance process
- Useful resources, templates, forms
Training
- Training for board of health staff in approved protocols of conducting retail tobacco inspections and compliance checks
- Group training for tobacco retailers regarding federal, state and local tobacco laws, regulations/ordinances
- NEW – Online Training for Tobacco Retailers
Technical Assistance
- Informs local boards of tobacco sales during Food & Drug Administration (FDA) compliance checks
- Provides strategies and resources to assist local boards of health in conducting an inspection regarding a complaint of a violation of the state smoke free workplace law
Advocacy
- MHOA is a member of the Executive Committee of Tobacco Free Massachusetts
- Advocating for stronger state laws regarding tobacco sales and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
- Working with partner organizations throughout the state to educate key stakeholders
Information
- Up-to-date information on tobacco control issues through the organization website and alerts, at MHOA quarterly meetings, and at the annual MHOA conference.
Tobacco Control Municipal Lists by Policy
As the tobacco industry expands its products and how they are marketed and sold, the CAST (Community Statewide Assistance Team) has developed model regulations for both the sale and use of tobacco products. Below are lists of communities that have passed various provisions in these model regulations. These lists will be updated as needed. If you have questions or need assistance please contact Sarah McColgan (MHOA Tobacco Control) at smccolgan@mhoa.com.
- Muni List Capping Number Of Permits
- Muni List Cities Regulatory Route
- Muni List Clerk Minimum Age
- Muni List Local Policies
- Muni List Nicotine Free Generation
- Muni List Private Clubs Limits Only
- Muni List Retail Window Coverage
- Muni List Retailers Near Retailers
- Muni List Revolving Fund
- Muni List Rolling Papers
- Muni List Schools Retailers
- Muni List Separate Permits
- Muni List Unified Penalties
- Muni List Vape Sales Ban
- Muni List Vending Machine
- Muni List Youth Possession
- Muni List Aorts
- Muni List Blunt Wraps
- Muni List Cigar Minimum Pricing
- Muni List Educational Institutions
- Muni List Flat 300 Fine
- Muni List Health Orders
- Muni List Permit Fees
- Muni List Permit Revocation
- Muni List Permits
- Muni List Private Clubs Ban Only
- Muni List Rolling Papers 1
- Muni List Rts Smoking
- Muni List Ryo Ban
- Muni List Smoking Bars
- Muni List Without Permit
Latest Tobacco News
None at this time.
Toolkit to Establish a Municipal Tobacco Control Program
Does your municipality want to do tobacco retail inspections/compliance checks, but you don’t know where or how to start? Hopefully this guide has taken what may seem to be a daunting task and broken it down and simplified it with helpful guidance, protocols and topics to think about.
If you have specific questions, need help identifying an independent contractor to conduct tobacco control services, have questions regarding costs and funding for tobacco control, want training for your retailers or board of health staff training in retail tobacco inspections and compliance checks please contact Sarah McColgan at smccolgan@mhoa.com
