Board of Health votes to ease tobacco suspension rule, rescind violation

Board of Health · Meeting of January 21, 2026

Mendon Board of Health eases tobacco suspension rule, clears Cumberland Farms. Meeting for the first time in 2026, the board voted unanimously to change its tobacco regulations from "shall" to "may" suspend a vendor's permit after a violation, a shift Health Agent Colleen Strapponi said gives the board "flexibility based upon the issue at hand." Members also rescinded a coupon-related violation against Cumberland Farms after a court found the word "coupon" on its signage was too large to trigger the regulation. The board separately approved a septic system upgrade at 49 Uxbridge Road, with offsets as tight as 2 feet from a drain under Title V's upgrade allowance.

Chair Alan Greenberg recounted personally driving a possum suspected in a rabies exposure to the state lab in Jamaica Plain, calling it "a very interesting trip." The state has extended Mendon's landfill well-testing deadline to April 2026.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 906 words

Source: the Board of Health meeting of January 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.