C-Stores Campaign Against Age Bans

The New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association (NECSEMA) has launched a grassroots campaign this week to oppose generational bans on tobacco and nicotine products.

The Stoughton, Massachusetts-based association stated that the ban on tobacco sales tied to birthdate threatens civil liberties in Massachusetts. They believe that if unopposed, it could lead to local bans on various other products including gambling, alcohol, cannabis, sugary drinks, fatty foods, and caffeine.

Alex Weatherall, NECSEMA president, stated that these policies are establishing a concerning precedent by giving local boards of health the unilateral authority to determine if an individual is “adult enough” to purchase legal products statewide and nationwide, according to media reports.

Weatherall believes that this sets a dangerous precedent, adding that local officials are imposing their morality on citizens of the Commonwealth. NECSEMA said it created the advocacy group Citizens for Adult Choice to educate the public about the dangers these local bans pose for law-abiding adults in Massachusetts.