Tobacco rules draw mixed comments at hearing

By Bina Venkataraman, Globe Correspondent

About 10 people spoke during a Boston Public Health Commission hearing this morning on its proposed rule to ban cigarette sales at the city’s pharmacies and college campuses. The rule would also ban smoking on outdoor patios of restaurants, and, in five years, ban smoking in hookah bars and cigar bars.

Representatives of a Back Bay cigar bar urged that they be exempted from the ban, while public health specialists endorsed the proposed restrictions.

“The sale of cigarettes in pharmacies is very rare outside the United States,” said Andrew Seidenberg of the Harvard School of Public Health in his testimony.

Greg Connolly, also of the School of Public Health, said, “I’m astounded that a pharmacist can sell tobacco products.” He added that the proposed rules, among the strictest in the nation, would thwart the tobacco industry's efforts to change young people who are occasional smokers into "full-time smokers."

The three owners of Cigar Masters, a Back Bay cigar lounge, testified that the rule unfairly punished cigar bars, and that their business should be an exception because it does not target youth and is a draw for tourists.

“There aren’t people who are in there who are expecting to not be around second-hand smoke,” said Brett Greenfield, one of the owners. “Individuals have the right to make those decisions.”

Michael Ross, a city councilor for the Back Bay and Beacon Hill neighborhoods, among others, commended the commission for current smoking rules, but warned against extending them to outdoor patios and cigar bars.

“I think they are good businesses,” he said, of the cigar bars. “I think they contribute to the quality of our communities.” He said that he believed businesses would have “strong legal arguments” against the city if it passed a smoking ban that applied to cigar bars or outdoor patios.

Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Public Health Commission, told the Globe that the proposed smoking bar rule is intended to stave off the growth of hookah bars in the city, which she said appeal to college students. “If there’s anything that the board feels strongly about, it’s making sure that young people don’t take up this addictive habit,” she said.

A second hearing will be held tonight from 5 to 7 at the George Carter Auditorium in the Northampton Square complex at 35 Northampton St. The commission is also accepting written public comments until Monday, November 3.