Three more towns in Berkshire County have raised the tobacco purchasing age to 21, an effort that has taken hold across Massachusetts.Starting in January, you will have to be 21 to buy tobacco in Lee, Lenox and Stockbridge. The communities are part of the Tri-Town Health Department whose board approved the measure Monday. The department’s director, Jim Wilusz, has been a steady advocate for raising the age throughout the county.
“Raising the minimum age to 21, it can only help,” Wilusz said. “If we can at least deter it three more years I think it’s a step in the right direction.”
The board also set the minimum sale price of single cigars at $2.50 and $5 for multi-packs. More than 60 Massachusetts communities have raised the tobacco purchasing age above 18.