PELHAM — Even with no retail stores in town, meaning there are no places to legally buy tobacco or nicotine products, the town’s Board of Health could become the second Hampshire County community, after Belchertown, to adopt a so-called nicotine-free generation policy as part of its regulations.

On Thursday, May 8, at 4:15 p.m., in the Ramsdell Room at the Pelham Library and with remote access via Zoom, the health board will hold a public hearing on amendments to “Restricting the Sale of Tobacco Products” that includes a prohibition on the sale of tobacco to anyone who doesn’t turn 21 years old before Jan. 1, 2026.

The regulation reads, “No retailer or person shall sell or provide a tobacco product to a person born on or after January 1, 2005” and then outlines more specifics for how this will be enforced, noting that “each person selling or distributing tobacco products shall first verify the age of every purchaser of tobacco products by means of a valid government-issued photographic identification containing the bearer’s date of birth that the purchaser is born on or before January 1, 2005.”

Board of Health Chairman Bill Pula explained that, while the town currently has no retailers and thus no businesses licensed for sale of nicotine products, such a regulation would enshrine this rule into municipal policy.

“These regulations are for the future and to express the board’s support for the concept of a nicotine-free generation,” Pula said.

Belchertown’s Board of Health last December passed the nicotine-free generation regulation that prohibits sale of anyone who didn’t turn 21 years old before Jan. 1, 2025, meaning that some people who have been able to legally buy tobacco in most communities across Massachusetts for the past four months have been prohibited from doing so at Belchertown stores.

Pelham’s board previously voted unanimously to advocate that all of its neighboring communities enact the nicotine-free generation strategy, providing consistency in each city and town.

Northampton’s Board of Health considered the nicotine-free generation measure last fall, but didn’t move forward with that, though did limit oral nicotine pouches to adults-only stores. Amherst’s Board of Health recently revised its regulations, including placing a limit on the amount of nicotine allowed in oral nicotine pouches, but members opted against bringing forward the nicotine-free generation policy.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.