Sudbury Board of Health declines municipal vape ban, rejects tobacco "sniff test"

SUDBURY -- June 25, 2024, Sudbury Board of Health rejects municipal vape ban and tobacco "sniff test" as mosquito surveillance ramps up. Chair Carol Bradford and members Linda Huet-Clayton and Susan Sama declined to pursue an outright vape sales ban or a local procedure to override manufacturers' unflavored labels on Zyn pouches and Craves vapes, saying state action is the right venue. "Sounds like whack-a-mole," Sama said. Health Director Vivian reported that two Sudbury retailers were among 17 failures in 167 youth compliance checks conducted by the Framingham-led 16-community collaborative, a roughly 10 percent failure rate. Two truck-mounted mosquito sprays have been conducted this month at state direction, with zero West Nile or EEE positives reported so far. The board also welcomed new community social worker Kirsten, a recent Boston College School of Social Work graduate, as housing-related casework climbs.