The Duxbury Board of Health is one of 16 towns that participate in the South Shore Boards of Health Tobacco Collaborative. The Collaborative serves as an agent of the Board of Health to enforce local regulations that restrict youth access to tobacco products and limit public exposure to secondhand smoke.
The Duxbury Board of Health passed regulations limiting youth access to tobacco products on January 1, 1997. The Board of Health updated regulations regarding smoking in public places on February 1, 1999. The regulations limit public exposure to second hand smoke by banning smoking in most public places, including restaurants, bars and most work places.
The Collaborative offers tobacco education in schools and community settings. Their health educators provide information about the most recent scientific evidence regarding the harms of tobacco, the tactics of the tobacco industry and successful strategies for assisting smokers in quitting. The health educators present information to kids with age-appropriate curricula and materials.
The Collaborative also conducts compliance checks of merchants who are licensed by the Board of Health to sell tobacco products. During these checks, underage buyers attempt to purchase tobacco from merchants in your town. These volunteers do not lie about their age, attempt to persuade the clerks or try to entrap the merchant. They simply ask to purchase a tobacco product. If the clerk questions their age or asks for an I.D. they simply leave the store. If they succeed in purchasing the product the merchant is cited for violation of local tobacco regulations.
The Collaborative responds to complaints from citizens who are exposed to secondhand smoke in places where smoking is prohibited. A complaint generally prompts a visit to the establishment for an inspection followed by a formal warning or citation. If you have a specific complaint about secondhand smoke, e-mail the Collaborative at complaints@smokefreenews.com or call the Board of Health office at 781-934-1105.
SOUTH SHORE BOARDS OF HEALTH COLLABORATIVE
TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAM
197 Rockland Street
Hanover, MA 02339
(781) 829-4301
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