Berlin Board of Health Plans Hazardous Waste Collection, Tobacco Reg Overhaul

BERLIN — January 20, 2026 — Berlin Board of Health takes up hazardous waste collection and tobacco regulation rewrite after years of inaction. The board, meeting via Zoom on January 20, heard from a Central Massachusetts Tobacco Alliance representative identified only as Joan, who presented a 17-page draft regulation to replace the town's 2008 tobacco access rules — among the oldest in her alliance's 46-community service area. Optional local provisions under consideration include a 500-foot buffer between tobacco retailers and schools, permit caps, minimum cigar pricing, and restrictions on oral nicotine pouches, which Joan said have seen a 400 percent increase in associated nicotine poisoning cases nationally. On hazardous waste, board staff reported that a vendor-run collection event through Trident Environmental would cost an estimated $7,100, against roughly $3,500 the board currently has available, with Berlin having gone without a collection day for approximately seven to eight years. No votes were taken on either item; both were deferred to future meetings for fuller review.