Some cited the fact that pharmacies are branded as places of health. Is junk food next? Big brother looking out for you.

Local and state government are getting carried away in legislating what they feel people want. New York is a prime example in trying to ban soft drinks over a certain size, does government really believe that the citizens are that stupid and unable to think for themselves that they (government) need to legislate common sense?
Want to do something to help society and stop obesity?? Legislate a ban on video games, use of the Internet, elevators and escalators and force people to get outside and walk up stairs, that's the real problem with this world, not where cigarettes are sold. Friggin waste of time by the Health Department.

what is the health depy doung sticking its nose into the pursuit of happiness. as far as i can remember you could buy tobacco products in a drug store and i'm over 60.
your not god over there at the health dept. and there bis no 11 th commandment saying thou shall not smoke. so leave it alone.

we dont need too smoke

How does one get to read the new law as written?

Proving once again that Salem is moronic. They don't allow people to light up in the pharmacy, what's the issue with purchasing it from a store-- regardless of whether or not there is a pharmacy attached to it. You don't get second hand smoke from an unlit cigarette. The only thing that will make this any more pathetic then it already is, is to replace all the cigarette boxes at CVS with medical marijuana.

I think maybe this goes a little far. You're taking away a big revenue stream from these stores, while inconveniencing people. You're also restricting some supermarkets, but not others, because they do or don't happen to contain a prescription counter. That's just odd. The parts of the bill aimed at selling single cigs and cigars, and selling them from machines, make sense.

If pharmacies are supposed to be "places of health" then they shouldn't be in Walmart and Stop & Shop. If you're going to follow this logic then there shouldn't be anything unhealthy in a pharmacy For example, gum, candy, soda, lottery, scratch tickets, bug spray, and other unnecessary "bad for you" products. Some people think they have the power of God to do whatever they feel. Now there will be an increase in "smoke shops". Oh, now we have new revenue. Planed or coincidence? My opinion is my opinion and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Go Salem...you really know how to chain down a city.

Leave us alone!

The Board of Health is going too far. Pharmacies today are more than "places of health".

Nanny state do-gooder left wing junk. Places of health? They why are there aisles of candy and junk food and soda - all jam packed with high fructose corn syrup. The biggest health problem in the country is obesity related disease - the direct cause of chronic issues such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. What's next?

Dumb. Just so dumb. What's the point?
If it were really about health, half the stuff sold in the pharmacies would be banned. Including a lot of the pharmaceuticals, so that's obviously not the truth, or the pushing reason behind it.
If it were really about cigarettes, there wouldn't be a ban in just some shops (It would be ridiculous to ban them, I'm just saying), it would be a city-wide ban. So, that's not it either.
I really wonder sometimes what people are thinking when they make decisions like this.
What is the point of taking away income from shops to transfer it to other shops, while being annoying as crap to groups of people?

Should bars apply for permits to sell cigarettes instead? Keep all your vices in one location...

you vote for them they should be no bars

I quit smoking 25 years ago however smoking is not illegal and I respect a persons right to smoke or do anything else that is not illegal.I also that it is wrong to raise taxes on such things as cigarettes,alcohol and gas as a way to stop people from using them.If we do not stop government intervention,they will soon be telling us how to behave in our own homes.

seems to me the board of health does not have enough to do policing restaruants,bars stores,meat departments,apartments,homeless shelters,donut shops,and the list goes on. get off the tobacco kick if your just looking for headlines or a resume boost to move on like the rest of the professionals that come thru salem and leave with fat pockets.

By the way, the hypocrisy is that our state collects a tax per pack of $2.51. The state benefits significantly from both smoking and state sponsored gambling in the form of the lottery.

I am unable to see the law. however, the minutes show they were presented twice at the meetings.
It would be great if the public could see the laws prior to the board voting " for the common good".
Salem, it seems, to still be a leader in witch hunting without due process.

Love to see an edited final copy and not a draft, is it different from the law?
But thanks for the link.

As a staff pharmacist it has always bothered me to be asked to sell cigarettes to patients. As far as the tax goes maybe those funds should be used to cover states medical care costs which are surely impacted by smoking

What's the point in this?
The only real difference I see coming from this is more gas being wasted, while driving from the pharmacy to the gas station or convenient store to buy cigarettes. If you are of legal age to purchase a product, why should it matter which licensed business conducts said transaction? It's not the governments place to decide, leave it to the business owners discretion.

This law will not stop people from smoking or promote better health, simply because it's not as convenient to buy cigarettes...seems like a waste of time to me

By the way I have never smoke a cigarette in my life and never plan to...however I use logic and common sense daily.

common sense something that seems to be lacking in city hall and the state house.

In NH they sell booze on the highway,tax free.

If the sale of tobacco products can be considered "interstate commerce", after all, they do come from out of state, only Congress has the power to regulate "interstate commerce", not the City Council or the Board of Health.

People are just going to continue to go out of state for their tobacco products, as if they're not already...

the subject here is the salem health agent thinks he is the head of the city council and able to pass a law banning tobbacco sales in pharmacies. by nlaw he does not have this power.

my only comment is that i am glad i moved out of Salem and the State just too much bull going on all the city government is going to do is piss people off and they will fight back one day.

mr health inspector since again you have alot of tim on your hand how about marching those shiney seated pants over to the transfer station and complile a honest and concise report on the condition of the existing wetlands and hills surrounding the transfer station. dont forget to take soil and water samples. bring your water testing kit and if its a dry day plenty of good dust masks. a camera would be nice so that you can take pictures of what you have done. all of this is going to be asked for when northside takes over the land and cleans it up. the city should have a record of the mess they made on swampscott road.

Profanity won't be tolerated and a "*" won't suffice. Your commented will be deleted and your account may be suspended.

The fire chief said we can't regulate what stores sell when asked about outdoor burning chimineas being for sale in Salem. How can the Board of health do this. I say BAN the sale of Products that have false advertising You know the ones that Lie. Ban the sale of Lottery tickets some people buy them instead of food.

I would suggest that the Salem Board of Health over stepped its authority by ordering any business with a pharmacy to stop selling cigarettes. The basic premise, that the Salem Board of Health knows better than we do ourselves what is good for us and what is bad for us in this instance, is just down right ridiculous, dangerous and injurious to local business. This new regulation is dangerous, because it will open a potential flood gate of new regulations, all of which will restrict our freedom to choose with whom we will be able to do business and limit our ability to make decisions that effect our own lives. Note that these regulations will have little to do with the supposed "health" benefits that might be derived by the passage of the particular regulation, just as in this case.

CVS is one of the local companies that will lose because of this new regulation. I do feel that is an unwarranted and punitive act aimed directly at one of our most successful local retailers. CVS has always demonstrated a responsible selling program for cigarettes and other tobacco products. They also make any number of products designed to help people "kick the habit" available.

The people do have the power of the vote. Find out how the members of the Salem Board of Health voted on this regulation. If you agree that they over stepped their authority investigate ways to have this regulation overturned. Vote those members out of office who support this type regulation.

if smoking is bad for you have the federal ban tobacco i guess they cant because of money

the only reason people or kids smoke because it makes them look tough and stupid

THE HUMAN DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF HIM OR HER SELF THATS WHY WE HAVE LAWS

some people dont have the brains they were born with