Adams Increases Age for Tobacco Sales to 21

ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Health has banned the selling of tobacco products to those under the age of 21 in town and updated its regulations.

The board heard no opposition to its proposals during a public hearing on Tuesday night and voted to put the new regulations in effect on Feb. 1, 2017.

"Any products containing, made or derived from tobacco or nicotine that is intended for human consumption, smoked, chewed, absorbed, dissolved, inhaled, snorted, sniffed or injected by any means … will not be sold to anyone under the legal age of 21," Chairman Bruce Shepley said before he read through the specifics of the new regulation.

The Board of Health started the process earlier this year with the help of the Tri-Town Health Department to overhaul the current regulations and update language.

Over the past few months, the Board of Health tweaked the regulations and enforcement to better fit the town of Adams.

During public comment, the only voices on the regulation were in support.

"We are wholeheartedly in support of tobacco 21," Joyce Brewer, contract manager with Tobacco-Free Community Partnership, said. "We all know that most people start smoking before they are 18 … and they are very susceptible to getting hooked on nicotine so we are in support of tobacco 21 and its acceptance by Adams."

Adams is the latest in a growing number of Berkshire communities that have set 21 as the minimum age to buy tobacco products. North Adams changed its regulations in April; Williamstown and Pittsfield also instituted tougher regulations as a deterrent to teen smoking in 2014.

Cheshire Rejects Override, Votes Reduced School Budget

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:32AM / Tuesday, August 13, 2024

The decision to vote on the budget by secret ballot on Monday night was overwhelming. An override to fund the school budget failed in Monday's election. 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — Voters on Monday rejected a Proposition 2 1/2 override and passed a motion that would level fund the town's fiscal 2025 school assessment.

 

They also voted down a debt exclusion to purchase a $67,000 police cruiser 228-267, but approved an exclusion for an $850,000 fire truck 296-200. An article to separate the positions of town tax collector and treasurer failed 230-261.

 

All four questions had passed at the annual town meeting.

 

Question 1 on the warrant would have added $150,534 to the town's levy limit to cover the town's $3 million portion of the $23 million Hoosac Valley Regional School budget.

 

The question failed 141-355. At the special town meeting following the vote, Selectmen Chair Shawn McGrath motioned to level fund the assessment at $2,948,462, the same assessment as last year, and that passed 47-20 on a secret ballot.

 

The failure of the school budget means the School Committee has the choice to make cuts or resubmit its budget to a districtwide vote. The budget passed in Adams, the other town in the two-town school district.

 

Hoosac Valley's Business Manager Erika Snyder said the school district will request a meeting of all voters in the school district, which would decide the budget by majority vote.