Local Mass. government seeks to ban tobacco sales in pharmacies

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. The expanding list of cities banning tobacco sales in pharmacies soon may gain a new member.

The Board of Health of Framingham, Mass., is considering a ban on cigarette sales in pharmacies, according to published reports. If enacted, Framingham would become the fourth city in Massachusetts – after Boston, Needham and Uxbridge – to purge tobacco from pharmacies.

Boston enacted its own ban earlier this year, preventing the sale of tobacco products at any store that operates a pharmacy, while San Francisco passed a ban last year that prohibits tobacco sales at drug stores, but not at supermarkets or mass-merchandise retailers with in-store pharmacies. Massachusetts and New York are also considering statewide bans.