Regional partners discuss tobacco inspections, training and FY28 reprocurement

The Greater Boroughs Partnership for Health discussed regional approaches to tobacco prevention and inspections during its May 12 remote meeting, focusing on how small towns can maintain compliance and youth‑access checks as the FY28 reprocurement for tobacco collaboratives approaches.

Mikayla Putty, Greater Boroughs Partnership for Health, opened the discussion and asked each town to describe current inspection arrangements and possible future structures. She said Northborough and Boylston are not currently part of a tobacco collaborative and that Northborough has partnered with MHOA for retail inspections and youth compliance checks.

Sarah McColgan, director of the tobacco control program for the Massachusetts Health Officers Association (MHOA), summarized MHOA services: trainings (including an upcoming safety training for inspectors), compliance checks (underage buy operations), regulatory technical assistance and legal support to update municipal regulations, and direct inspection services under contract with the state. “So that’s kind of MHOA tobacco in a nutshell,” McColgan said.

McColgan told members MHOA is funded through FY27 and is optimistic about FY28, and said MHOA intends to continue providing inspections and will offer mini‑grants in the fall to help smaller municipalities build capacity for inspections and youth compliance checks. She described a likely model in which MHOA would continue compliance sweeps for groups of smaller towns that cannot individually staff regular youth‑access operations.

Members described existing collaborative arrangements: Westborough participates in a Framingham collaborative with a named inspector who handles most inspections, Southborough works with MTCP and PARI, and Boylston has been part of the Worcester collaborative. Several members said their towns have banned particular products and that enforcement and local regulation updates are ongoing.

The group discussed capacity building: ride‑alongs and local training for municipal inspectors (Vinny was named as currently participating in ride‑alongs), training translation needs, and how to structure inspections if more towns join a collaborative when the FY28 procurement reopens. Members said some small towns may find it financially infeasible to hire and train youth compliance staff on their own, and that regional grouping remains the most cost‑effective approach.

The Partnership agreed to continue planning and to explore mini‑grants and training options ahead of FY28 reprocurement, with staff to follow up on geographic boundaries for collaboratives and possibilities for newly interested towns. McColgan also reminded members about upcoming MHOA and Cannabis Control Commission meetings and encouraged registration for an inspector safety training on June 18.

What’s next: partners said they will track procurement timelines for FY28, continue outreach and training for local inspectors, and consider applying for mini‑grants when those are released in the fall.