Tobacco Control Program

Smoke-Free Workplace Law & Local Regulations

The Massachusetts Smoke-Free Workplace Law is primarily intended to protect workers from health hazards resulting from exposure to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is a Class A carcinogen as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns people with an increased risk of coronary heart disease or with known coronary artery disease to avoid all indoor environments that permit smoking.

As of July 5, 2004, all workplaces that have one or more employees must be smoke-free.

Youth Access to Tobacco

Massachusetts General Law Chapter 270 Section 6 states that no person or entity shall sell cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff or any tobacco in any of its forms to any person under age eighteen.

More than 90% of adult smokers began smoking while they were teenagers. A successful tobacco control program must work to prevent new smokers - most of them young people - from starting to use tobacco. One method, proven to be effective, is to restrict young people’s access to tobacco products.

With the assistance of the Westfield Community Police and their explorers program, the Health Department conducts four youth access compliance checks per calendar year at more than 50 licensed establishments.

Updated Tobacco Regulations effective as of January 1, 2016.

Licensing

The City of Westfield requires all establishments selling tobacco products to be licensed by the Board of Health. The fee for this license is $100. To obtain a tobacco license application, please see Tobacco License Application.