Boston bans cigarettes in drug stores

BOSTON New England’s largest city has followed in the footsteps of San Francisco.

The Boston Public Health Commission passed a ban on the sales of cigarettes in pharmacies and on college campuses. It also bans the opening of new cigar and hookah bars, giving those already operating 10 more years before they must close, and also bans smoking in areas near workplaces and on all patios.

The new regulations, the strictest in the country, will take effect in two months. By contrast, the law in San Francisco only bans tobacco sales in retail pharmacies, but allows other retailers—including supermarkets and mass merchandisers with in-store pharmacies—to continue selling tobacco.