East Longmeadow Board of Health caps nicotine pouch strength at six milligrams

EAST LONGMEADOW — January 15, 2026 — East Longmeadow Board of Health unanimously adopts tobacco regulations capping nicotine pouch sales at six milligrams per pouch. The 3-0 vote at the January 15 meeting, led by Chair Christine Johnston, sets a March 1, 2026 effective date and updates the town's 2023 tobacco rules to address oral nicotine pouches for the first time. Lisa Stevens, director of tobacco control for the Massachusetts Municipal Association, told the board that nationwide sales of the products grew from 6 million to 334 million units between 2016 and 2023, and that Massachusetts high school use tripled from 1 percent to 3.2 percent between 2019 and 2023. Stevens noted some pouches carry as much as 28 milligrams of nicotine per pouch and that at least 11 Massachusetts communities have enacted some form of restriction. The updated regulations also reduce the town's permitted tobacco retailer cap from 14 to 13, reflecting one permit that lapsed since the prior rules were adopted.