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| S P E C I A L | Tobacco Under Attack |
Debate heats up over town's proposal to ban tobacco sales
October 17, 1997
Web posted at: 3:52 p.m. EDT (1952 GMT)WINTHROP, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A proposed ban on the sale of tobacco products will be put to a vote in April in this working-class suburb near Boston. The action, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, has sparked heated debate.
Winthrop's three-member Board of Health unanimously voted last month to ban the sale of tobacco products in the town.
Board members and their supporters insist the ban is necessary to curb underage smoking and smoking-related deaths. The proposal was opposed at a public hearing by dozens of residents and small-business owners, who said a ban would be unconstitutional because tobacco is legal.
In addition, many complained that smokers would merely travel to another town to buy tobacco products, hurting Winthrop's economy. Tobacco was banned once before in Winthrop -- in 1635. That ban was repealed three years later.
Correspondent Peg Tyre contributed to this report
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