2026-06-15 - Public Safety Committee

0:01Call the order.

0:03So, public safety committee. It is 6:50

0:08p.m. We have one item on the agenda

0:10tonight. It's order number 26-1009773,

0:16a city council resolution in support of

0:18a nicot nicotine-free generation policy.

0:21And I'll read this

0:24very quickly, as quick as I can,

0:27that the resolution in support of

0:29nicotine-free generation policy be and

0:31is herewith referred to the public

0:33safety committee. Resolution in support

0:35of the nicotine-free generation policy.

0:37Whereas the city of Marvel recognizes

0:39that nicotine addiction remains one of

0:41the leading preventable causes of

0:43illness, disease, and premature death in

0:45the United States. And whereas the use

0:47of cigarettes, cigars, smokeless

0:49tobacco, vaping products, nicotine

0:51pouches, and other nicotine delivery

0:53systems have contributed to increased

0:55rates of cancer, heart disease,

0:56respiratory illness, substance

0:58dependency, and youth addiction. And

1:00whereas the city acknowledges the

1:02growing public health concerns

1:03associated with youth, vaping, and

1:06nicotine use, particularly among

1:07adolescence and young adults. And

1:09whereas nicotine products are

1:11intentionally designed to create

1:12dependency and addiction, often

1:14beginning before adulthood. And whereas

1:17communities across the nation are

1:18exploring innovative public health

1:20strategies to prevent future generations

1:22from becoming addicted to nicotine

1:24products. And whereas the city of

1:26Marwood desires to promote healthier

1:28lifestyles, reduce long-term health care

1:31costs, improve public wellness, and

1:33protect future generations from nicotine

1:34addiction. Now therefore, it is resolved

1:37that the city council of Marvel supports

1:39this creation of a fa of a phased

1:42nicotine-free generation policy designed

1:44to gradually eliminate the legal sale of

1:47nicotine and tobacco products to future

1:49generations of residents. Be it further

1:51resolved that any individual born on or

1:54after January 1st, 2010 shall

1:57permanently be prohibited from

1:58purchasing nicotine or tobacco products

2:00within the city of Marorrow once

2:03enabling ordinances and regulations are

2:05adopted. that this policy shall apply to

2:08all nicotine containing products,

2:09including but not limited to cigarettes,

2:11cigars, vape products, and electronic

2:13nicotine delivery systems, smokeless

2:16tobacco, nicotine pouches, and synthetic

2:18nicotine products. that the city shall

2:21implement the policy gradually in order

2:23to educate residents and retailers,

2:25provide smoking sensation resources,

2:28reduce youth nicotine addiction, support

2:30public health initiatives

2:32that the city encourages partnerships

2:34with local schools, health care

2:35providers, addiction recovery

2:37organizations, and community groups to

2:39educate residents about the dangers of

2:41nicotine addiction and to promote

2:43prevention and recovery services. that

2:46the city supports the expansion of

2:47smoking sensation programs, counseling

2:49services, and recovery support

2:51opportunities for residents seeking to

2:53overcome nicotine addiction. That the

2:56city clerk shall forward copies of this

2:58resolution to the Massachusetts

2:59Department of Public Health, legal

3:01legislative representatives, the Marble

3:03Board of Health, and other appropriate

3:05agencies for review and considerations.

3:07Be it further resolved that this

3:09resolution represents the city's

3:10commitment to safeguarding the health

3:13and well-being of future generations and

3:15creating a healthier future for youth of

3:17Marorrow. Along with that resolution

3:20submitted by councelor Vital.

3:24Along with that resolution was a letter

3:26of support from the director of public

3:28health here in Marorrow, Paul Denwood,

3:31who um I'm not going to read his entire

3:34but he's very much in favor of this

3:36resolution. And then also a a student

3:39over at the Advanced Math and Science

3:41Academy. She she is the president of a a

3:44club called the the 84 movement which is

3:47a state uh initiative uh to the public

3:50schools uh trying to to uh eliminate nic

3:54nicotine in all forms and so she sent a

3:57letter of support as well. Um I would

4:00entertain a motion to accept the

4:01resolution.

4:04>> So moved

4:06on the committee.

4:07>> Oh I thought you wanted to accept a

4:09motion. Yes, Costa.

4:11>> I move to accept the resolution.

4:13>> Thank you. The resolution, a motion to

4:16accept the resolution has been seconded.

4:18All those in favor? Um

4:20>> discussion. May we have discussion

4:22first?

4:24>> Yes, councelor.

4:24>> Thank Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um

4:27>> admirable for what this does bring as a

4:30resolution. Uh I am not in support of

4:33the resolution and the biggest reason

4:36for me is I still believe it's an

4:37intrusion or adult's ability to exercise

4:40personal responsibility and individual

4:42libert liberty and even though I am

4:46fully aware that I know that cigarette

4:48smoke is a carcinogen. Um I just do not

4:52believe um that that it is our position

4:55to have this uh have this resolution. Um

4:58but that is certainly my opinion. I'll

5:00leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

5:02>> Thank you, councelor. Councelor Roby.

5:05>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I I also have

5:07the same concerns, but I also am

5:09curious, and I did not talk to the

5:11solicitor, but I'm not sure what a

5:13resolution like this actually does. I

5:16could see if the board of health had a

5:18policy which they could then enforce or

5:21the city council had an ordinance which

5:24could then be enforced. That would be

5:26different. So, I wasn't sure if your

5:28idea was to be in support of the board

5:32of health having a policy, which it

5:35doesn't sound like they have talked

5:37about in detail. I know they're working

5:39on a body

5:42people policy. Um, so exactly what do

5:47you think this if this gets approved and

5:51I say if it only takes six votes and

5:53I've been surprised on resolutions

5:56exactly how will it get enforced because

5:59there's no law with it.

6:02>> Very good.

6:04Would you like to comment?

6:06>> If I may, first of all, I would like to

6:08apologize. I'm not on your committee so

6:11I realize this. What am I doing?

6:13Anyways, um I would like to comment on

6:15that and I see this as a resolution. I

6:18think the most important part that's in

6:20here is the fact that it's getting

6:21referred to the local Marbor board of

6:24health and I agree that this resolution

6:27I'm in favor of it. As you know, I

6:29motioned without even being on the

6:30committee. Uh but I'm in favor of this

6:33and this is just not Mar that's doing

6:35this. There's 25 communities right now

6:38that have done it, including the city of

6:39Newton. Uh but I see the need. I

6:43understand uh trying to change things as

6:48difficult. Tobacco has always been a

6:50difficult area for change. But I in the

6:54respect of what's being sold here, I

6:55find tobacco as a poison and it can

6:58poison our children. And if we start

7:02looking at changing when

7:05or not when, but when someone turns a

7:08certain age, it should be noted that

7:11we're really not doing the best for our

7:13community. Uh, but I would because this

7:16resolution, I believe, doesn't really

7:18create any legislation. Uh, I agree that

7:22it should be passed by the Marbor Board

7:24of Health for their decision and

7:27regulations. With that said, thank you,

7:29Mr. Chair, and sorry I interrupted on a

7:32motion.

7:33>> That's quite okay, Council. Councelor

7:36Ruby, before I mention what my intent

7:38is, excuse me, M. Councelor Aing.

7:42>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, I'll just

7:43remind councilors and we've kind of

7:45touched on it. A resolution is just the

7:48expression of an opinion present an

7:51intent or conclusion of a legislative

7:53determined fact. So, there's no teak.

7:55This is just, you know, I want to paint

7:57the sky green. Okay, we can pass a

7:59resolution to say that. Right. So,

8:01that's all this does. It doesn't commit

8:02us to anything. It just says the

8:04council's on board. Councelor Roby and

8:07Council Orma are correct. The board of

8:09health needs to take some action just

8:11like we've been in Kraken or what

8:13Kraton,

8:15>> you know, they got to pass an ordinance

8:16or a a rule that says we're going to

8:21enforce this. The board of health took

8:23it up in 2024. Uh there was some push

8:26back. It didn't go anywhere. This would

8:30I would assume since the if the council

8:33passes it, we'll give them a little more

8:36uh meat to go put something together.

8:38But again, you start it. This one says

8:422010. So that means in five years, 2031

8:46would be when we start impacting people,

8:49right? because you got to be 21 years

8:51old to buy cigarettes. I don't know what

8:53the rules are for vaping, but

8:55>> I know it's 21 for cigarettes. know in

8:5721 years. of 2031

9:00would be when these take effect. But

9:02when the board of health puts together

9:05their policy like they're doing for body

9:06piercing council Ruby, they got to have

9:09a public hearing, you know, because

9:11you're going to get folks that sell

9:12tobacco products that aren't going to be

9:14excited about it and those that don't

9:15like tobacco products and they'll hear

9:17both sides and they'll come up with a a

9:19position. But right now, this is just,

9:22you know, you feel good, you say if you

9:24like it, you say, "Okay, we're going to

9:26support it." But it does commits the

9:28city to nothing at this point.

9:31>> I don't know if that helps council Roby

9:32or not.

9:33>> Well, no. I guess I if the board of

9:35health actually proposes a policy and we

9:38know the language of the policy, then

9:40having a resolution in support of that

9:42to me would be the way to go. This is

9:44putting the cart before the horse. You

9:46You've got a whole bunch of language in

9:48here that you have no idea if will even

9:51be in their policy. I mean, it probably

9:53will be, but we don't know for sure. So,

9:56why don't you wait for them? It sounds

9:59like they want to have a policy. We have

10:02Mr. Dun Woody's letter uh asking us to

10:05support it, but there's no verbiage.

10:08There's no order from the board of

10:11health to have the language written up,

10:14to have the public hearing that's

10:15required, and the ability for us to know

10:19where the city if we care where the

10:23residents of the city stand or not. I

10:25mean, bring it back when in orders.

10:29>> I um I'll I'll share my intent as soon

10:33as I just bring out I just recently as

10:36you did uh councelor Roby, I did an

10:38awful lot of research on this and and

10:40what other towns have done and so forth.

10:42And then to address the issue of of

10:44those um libert libertarians out there,

10:48it it's not just um allowing them to do

10:51their own thing. In Massachusetts,

10:54cigarette smoking alone is estimated to

10:56cause cost more than 4.5 and 4.7 billion

11:01dollar in direct health care cost every

11:04year

11:06with approximately 1.5 billion of those

11:10costs paid through Mass Health or

11:12Medicare, which basically means that we

11:14all are paying for that for those um

11:17deaths or or those health health

11:19concerns. Speaking of deaths, last year

11:23approximately 9,300 Mass residents died

11:27from smoking related diseases.

11:31So my intent here was for this body to

11:35say that this is a a health concern.

11:37It's been a health concern for decades

11:39and we want to take a a stronger

11:42position

11:44and send it back. You're absolutely

11:45right. Send it has to go down to

11:47Department of Health. send it down to

11:48Department of Health with our best

11:49wishes and our support. Even though it's

11:53not it's not, you know, green in the

11:56sky, it's still it still carries some uh

12:00some I don't know, leverage, I guess,

12:02when they're trying to put their policy

12:04together. They'll know how we feel.

12:08So, I had a motion to accept the

12:10resolution. I The chair seconds it. All

12:13those in favor?

12:15Opposed? The votes two to one. Entertain

12:19a motion to adjurnn.

12:24>> Motion to adjurnn.

12:26>> This public safety committee is

12:27adjourned at 7:02.

12:31Thank you everyone.

12:32>> We didn't

12:32>> vote.

12:33>> We didn't vote.

12:34>> Oh, this is my first first public safety

12:37guy. So get be cautious on me.

12:41It's unanimous. Ajourned.