Yarmouth business owners warned the Board of Health on Monday that a proposal to permanently ban nicotine sales to future generations could devastate the local economy, with some shops projecting a loss of up to 80 percent of their total revenue. The discussion centered on the Nicotine-Free Generation (NFG) initiative, a policy that would prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to anyone born after a specific year, effectively creating a rising age limit that follows a single generation throughout their lives.

Health Director Barry emphasized that the measure is strictly forward-looking, noting that a lot of people think that we're banning all nicotine products in town, which we are 100% not doing. He clarified that the goal is to prevent the youth of our future from starting to smoke, and that no current residents over the age of 21 would be affected. Member L. Venezia supported the public health necessity of the move, arguing that the long-term medical costs and mortality rates of smoking are staggering. It's been shown that if you're a chronic smoker, you stand a 50% chance of dying in your lifetime from complications from smoking, Venezia stated.

Local retailers, however, presented a grim financial outlook. Vishal Shukla, representing the Yarmouth Village Store and Station Avenue Convenience, told the board that tobacco products serve as the backbone of convenience store operations. A convenience store, we do probably 60% to 80% business selling cigarettes and stuff like that, Shukla said, questioning how the town expected businesses to fill that massive financial gap in the future. Public commenters echoed these concerns, with resident Paula Cody noting that laws that single out one generation for permanent restrictions raise concerns about fairness and equal treatment. Steven Hur of Cambridge Citizens for Smokers Rights argued that adults should maintain their autonomy, stating that residents 21 and over are competent to make up their own decisions regarding tobacco and nicotine.

The board also continued its multi-meeting effort to regulate kratom, a Southeast Asian plant used by some for pain relief and opioid recovery. Member L. Venezia described the substance as a psychoactive substance that acts as both a stimulant and an opioid, citing FDA warnings regarding liver toxicity and seizures. Member E. Weston questioned the status of the current regulatory drafts, asking, Isn't this the one we edited in the last meeting? Did we edit this? Director Barry confirmed that the current draft combines policies from other towns with local expertise.

A contingent of industry advocates and medical professionals urged the board to distinguish between natural whole-leaf kratom and concentrated synthetic alkaloids like 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). Allison Smith of the Global Kratom Coalition cited studies suggesting that with participants of adult age who took from four to eight or 12 grams of natural kratom product... there were no adverse effects. John Shenholster of American Veterans for Kratom Safe pointed to clinical trials at Johns Hopkins, while Dr. Heidi Squire argued that natural kratom really is not a classical opioid. It's a partial mu-opioid agonist just like coffee and cheese. Laura Romney of the International Plant and Herbal Alliance suggested the town focus exclusively on banning synthetic extracts rather than the natural leaf.

In other business, Acting Chair Mary Craig opened the first meeting of 2026 by welcoming the public and establishing a quorum. Motion Made by L. Venezia to accept the Board of Health meeting minutes for December 15. Motion Passed (3-0).

Director Barry also provided an update on the town’s plastic reduction ban, which officially went into effect on January 1. He noted that the department is taking a collaborative approach with local businesses during the transition. We're not making everybody just throw stuff away, Barry explained. We're giving everybody a time frame to work through their product and lower their inventory. The meeting concluded with a report on the department’s holiday Giving Tree drive, which was so successful it required three department trucks to deliver gifts to local schools.