Milford wants to hear from pharmacies on tobacco proposal

The Board of Health last night asked Health Officer Paul Mazzuchelli to seek feedback from stores hurt by a possible ban on the sale of tobacco products at pharmacies.
“I think before we take business away from any of these people, we should really consider (the effects of the regulation),” Board of Health Chairman Ken Evans said. “You’ve got to give this a lot of thought.”

Earlier this month, the board heard from advocates of the ban who argued it would reduce the number of places youth can get tobacco and remove a product from shelves that undermines a pharmacy’s mission of promoting health.
Twenty-five Massachusetts communities have such a ban in place.
“More and more communities recognize that cigarettes and pharmacies don’t mix,” Mazzuchelli said.
The ban would cover any store — such as a supermarket or drug store — that has a pharmacy inside, Mazzuchelli said.
Those stores have historically followed laws banning the sale of tobacco to minors, while convenience stores and gas stations have been more likely to violate the rule, he said.
“Here we have a group (of stores) that are enforcing the regulations and we kind of turn around and take your business and give it to all the violators,” Evans said.
David Sutton, a spokesman for Altria — the parent company of Philip Morris — said earlier in the day that his company is opposed to a ban.
“Such legislation deprives businesses of the opportunity to sell a legal product, unfairly shifts business away from some retailers to others with no public policy benefit, and imposes an unnecessary inconvenience on adult consumers,” Sutton said in a statement.
Sales bans overlook if stores are selling tobacco responsibly, he said, noting Altria supports regulations that enforce minimum-age requirements for buying tobacco products.
In other business, the Board of Health approved a two-year extension of its solid waste collection contract with Auburn-based Allied Waste Services. The contract now runs through June 30, 2015. The town will now get a portion of the proceeds from recycling paper. Milford already receives part of the revenue from glass, Evans said.
The town also negotiated better limits on yearly calculations of the price of the contract, Mazzuchelli said.