(1) There exists conclusive and voluminous evidence that tobacco causes cancer,
respiratory and cardiac diseases, negative birth outcomes, irritations to the eyes,
nose and throat;
(2) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that
nicotine is as addictive as cocaine or heroin and the Surgeon General found that
nicotine exposure during adolescence, a critical window for brain development,
may have lasting adverse consequences for brain development, and that it is
addiction to nicotine that keeps youth smoking past adolescence;
(3) There are an estimated 31,488 smokers who reside in the city of Worcester;
(4) 18.1% of adults in the city of Worcester over 18 years of age smoke, a level
which is 21% higher than the statewide average of 15%;
(5) Lung cancer incidence is 19% higher among males in Worcester compared to
the state level – The age-adjusted lung cancer incidence (per 100,000) for males
is 97.6 in Worcester and 82.2 in Massachusetts;
(6) Lung cancer incidence is 19% higher among females in Worcester compared
to the state level - The age-adjusted lung cancer incidence (per 100,000) for
females is 70.8 in Worcester and 665.5 in Massachusetts;
(7) Mortality from lung cancer is 17% higher in Worcester compared to
Massachusetts;
(8) Tobacco causes an estimated 438,000 deaths annually in the United States
and over 8,000 deaths annually in the commonwealth of Massachusetts;
(9) The death rate of Worcester residents from tobacco on a per capita basis is
approximately 250 individuals annually, or five human lives lost per week;
(10) At least one-half of all smokers begin smoking before the age of eighteen and
an estimated 3,000 minors begin smoking every day in the United States;
(11) The sale of tobacco products is incompatible with the mission of health care
institutions because it is detrimental to the public health and undermines efforts
to educate patients on the safe and effective use of medication;
(12) There are certain tobacco products such as blunt wraps that are frequently
marketed and sold to the youth and are also known to be used as drug
paraphernalia;
(13) Among the 15.7% of students nationwide who currently smoke cigarettes
and were less than 18 years old, 14.1% usually obtained them by buying them in
a store (i.e. convenience store, supermarket, or discount store) or gas station;
(14) The U.S. Surgeon General recognized in his 2014 report that a
complementary strategy to assist in eradicating tobacco related death and
disease is for local governments to ban categories of products from retail sale;