SAN ANTONIO – In January, San Antonio became the first Texas city to raise the legal tobacco buying age to 21, when the city council voted 9-2 for the measure, the San Antonio Express reports. While the new law will go into effect October 1, convenience stores and smoke shops are already anticipating a drop in sales.
Mert Firat, co-owner of the Smoke to Live chain, said he expects sales to decrease for at least six months following October 1. Firat said his 18- to 20-year-old customers said they would drive to stores outside San Antonio to purchase tobacco products.
Those against the change are lobbying state lawmakers to pass a statewide law that would supersede the ordinance. The state is already embroiled in tussles with cities over other local legislation, such as with Austin over short-term rentals and ride-hailing companies.
The Texas Food and Fuel Association will be pressing legislators to pass laws that would limit the ability of localities to change the tobacco buying age next year. “Smoking is bad for you, but it’s all about personal choice,” said Paul Hardin, the association’s president. “And you’re right to make that choice as an adult.”
In Massachusetts, the Worcester Board of Health yanked flavored tobacco products from the shelves of convenience stores as of January 1, 2019, the Telegram & Gazette reports. The town becomes the state’s 113 to limit where flavored tobacco products can be sold.
Convenience store owners protested the vote. “This is a random, discriminatory and a potential restraint of trade,” said Rich Watts with Yatco Energy. “We have been the enforcers taking responsibility to deny sales to those under 21. ... Directing (flavored tobacco) sales to a limited number of (adults-only) stores is the wrong way to go about it.”