LYNN — The Lynn Board of Health Commission is looking into methods to potentially decrease the amount of tobacco-selling licenses around the city.
At the Lynn Board of Health meeting on Aug. 5, Lynn resident and North Shore Cape Ann Tobacco Policy Program Director Joyce Redford suggested drafting a plan to implement retiring caps for retailers that are currently selling tobacco products in the community.
A retiring cap, also known as a diminishing cap, acts differently than a basic cap when it comes to tobacco permits. Retiring caps work to reduce the number of tobacco retailers overtime by permanently ending a tobacco license when a certain business sells or closes down. They also prohibit the creation of new tobacco permits in a city when a new business opens up or takes the place of a previous business.
Redford urged the issue by pointing out that Lynn has 16% more retailers per capita that sell tobacco in comparison to the Massachusetts state average.
“We’re a much bigger city, and we’re doing more with less for retailers who are selling what is basically poison to young people and adults. And Lynn is doing more than anyone else who is in our collaborative,” Redford said.
“Responsible retailers like these types of rules. Because when there’s three stores at the same corner in Lynn, and they all have the same permit, it benefits them to have one of the permits gone when the store sells,” she added.
Lynn Board of Health member Dr. Clark Van Den said he would “not shed any tears” if more retailers in Lynn lost their tobacco permits.
“It really is our responsibility to make sure these decrease,” he said.
The Lynn Board of Health is currently in the process of drafting regulation definitions regarding tobacco license retiring caps. They plan on hosting a public hearing on the matter later in the year.
