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Home My WebLink AboutBOH 02/13/2025Town of Mansfield Board of Health February 13, 2025 Minutes V, D O",'I' OF t!'�s OFFICE 1015r.' 'I A0�4q TS federal, state, and local statutes and regulations, education and promotion of sanitary living and working conditions, and protection of the environment from disease and pollution. Present: Kasia Frenette, Acting Chair, Ryan Maxwell, Emily Beura, Chris West, Amy Donovan - Palmer. Absent: Graham Wilson. Guests: Dhruv Patel, Hirenkumar Patel, Dinesh Patel, Keke Vencill. The meeting was called to order at 7:05pm on February 13, 2025 by Ms. Kasia Frenette. Ms. Frenette stated there were five a -mails that came through over the past month requesting no restrictions on the sales of nicotine pouches for the following reasons. • Access to nicotine pouches offers an alternative to use of more harmful cigarettes. • Youth use is already restricted to 21 years or more. • There is no evidence that restricting access will reduce youth use. • Adults should be able to choose what they want to consume. • Customers who purchase convenience items, such as milk, eggs, ext. when purchasing nicotine pouches will go to neighboring towns. Motion to approve the consent agenda made by Mr. Maxwell, seconded by Ms. Beura. Passed unanimously, 4:0. Motion to approve the January 15, 2025 meeting minutes made by Mr. Maxwell, seconded by Ms. Beura. Passed unanimously, 4:0. �CttS�Oi }�iiBt �il�"✓ 3 '�.,✓r'3' ^;:ram:..,Y"�' ✓"� S 'o r-=r",.''-r�1�'2N. Ms. Donovan -Palmer stated that the Envision Hotel has been showing great improvement. The hotel decided to maintain a consultant three times a week for a couple weeks, and are now only using the consultant once a week. The hotel is submitting their pool logs to Ms. Donovan - Palmer once a week, which are very detailed, so she knows if the Chlorine is too low or too high. Ms. Donovan -Palmer stated she does feel the Envision pool has come a long way, and they are maintaining the programs previously discussed. Ms. Donovan -Palmer shared that if there is not a CPO certified individual on site, then they shut the pool down for the time being. The CPO's now understand the level of chemicals and when they should close the pool, which is also shown in the logs. At this point a majority of the Envision's technicians are CPO certified. The Envision Hotel consultant will stay on until the Board votes that it's no longer needed. Ms. Donovan -Palmer stated that the two violations had a 7-day suspension. She was present when the establishments packed everything up and took the nicotine products off site. She was also there when they brought the product back. Ms. Donovan -Palmer shared that the compliance checks are done once a year, and this past year 6 out of 23 have come back selling to minors. The owners are doing everything they can to prevent this from happening, but unfortunately it is still happening which is a problem. Ms. Donovan -Palmer shared to the Board that it was brought to her attention from the Tobacco Compliance Officer of the MHOA that our Regulations are not in alliance with the State Laws. State Laws only allow for fines up to a $1,000.00 for local violations. The Towns Regulations have been edited to make every fine, whether it a first, second, or third violation a flat fine. Or the regulations can be edited to read that each violation has a different monetary value. Ms. Frenette suggested a step scale of a first violation with a $500.00 fine, a second violation with a $750.00 fine, and the third violation would be $1,000.00 fine, the Board agreed. Amy Donovan -Palmer mentioned that the other section in the model regulations is about oral nicotine pouches. The model regulations are offering the language to be included or not, which states. • No retailer or person shall sell or distribute or cause to be sold or distributed oral nicotine pouches with a nicotine content greater than 6mg per individual pouch or the sale or distribution of oral nicotine pouches is restricted to adult only retailer tobacco stores. Ms. Frenette asked if anyone in the audience would like to come up and speak on their behalf. Mr. Drew Patel took to the podium from Mansfield Town Food Mart. Mr. Patel expressed to the Board that if you take the nicotine pouches off the shelves it is not going to stop young people from seeing the product, most young people are seeing it on Tick Tock and other social media platforms. Mr. Patel doesn't feel like it's going to limit the popularity of the product especially when they are available in every other surrounding town. Ms. Donovan -Palmer stated that one of the biggest concerns around it with youth is that you can't tell that they have them in their mouth, so there is concern around nicotine poisoning. We do only one compliance check a year, and the concern around that is Mansfield has had 6 violations within that year to minors. Ms. West ask if there's a limit as to how many nicotine pouches you can purchase in one transaction, and Ms. Donovan -Palmer responded there is no limit you can buy as many as you want. Ms. Donovan -Palmer mentioned that in the article they talk a lot about the flavored pouches, which we are unable to sell in Massachusetts, so that's a restriction already in place. Mr. Dinesh Patel asked to take the podium from 4 Corners Citgo. Mr. Patel shared that all the other town surrounding us are selling 3mg and 6mg nicotine pouches, which in proximity to Mansfield is not far at all. Mr. Drew Patel re -approached the podium to share that the main difference with the nicotine pouches is it's comparable to a dip which has tobacco. Tobacco can cause cancer, nicotine poses significant less risk than tobacco. Ms. Donovan -Palmer pointed out there is less harm with nicotine pouches, but when we talk about restricting the use, especially youth access, the addiction is the addiction. The nicotine addiction is what we would want to restrict youth access to. Ms. Donovan -Palmer shared with the Board that the Health Department got an offer from the Nicotine Free Generation task team asking the Board if they would like them to come speak regarding what they can offer. The nicotine free generation is a movement within Massachusetts that prohibits the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to people born after a specific date. The goal is to prevent future generations from becoming addicted to nicotine. So far, 14 cities and towns have passed this. The Board accepted the offer to hear from them. Ms. Donovan -Palmer shared that the Health Department has been active in working with the Substance Use Taskforce to work around the Opioid Settlement funds, which is the big push. In November we had an open forum inviting individuals to come talk with us as to what they thought might be helpful in Mansfield. One part that was expressed was to have more training on Narcan. Mansfield offered a Narcan training on Tuesday, February 11 at the Mansfield library, put on by the Mansfield POP Team and the Safe Coalition. In addition to Narcan training the Health Department has become a Narcan distributor through the community Naloxone program through the DPH. The Health Department gets free Narcan, free fentanyl test strips, and free rescue breathing devices. Ms. Beura asked how well attended was the training, and Ms. Donovan -Palmer stated there was around 25 people who attended. Ms. Frenette began by sharing the infectious disease report with the spike in Flu, which can be prevented by handwashing and getting your Flu shot. Covid is still prevalent, and norovirus is out there, which is a stomach virus that comes on very quickly. Again, best prevention is handwashing with soap and water. The Community EMS is still offering blood pressure clinics at the COA and the Town Hall. Ms. Donovan -Palmer shared with the Board that the mission of Public Health is to make sure we have health equity, and we make sure we're inclusive on everybody, looking at scientific trends around diversity, and are clear about what we do. The Health Department has done the Community Health assessment which included two difference interns highlight the fact that one of the groups missing on outreach is the LGBT community. For two years we were able to get grants from the DPH called the Community Health Inclusion Index. With those grants we were able to work with the DPW and make the Corporal Hardy trail system mobility friendly. Ms. Donovan -Palmer worked with a man who was a disability advocate and he helped with suggestions and recommendations to enhance the trail for people with mobility issues. With the second grant we were able to hire someone to work with the planning and conservation departments to update our open space and recreation plan, to see how we can make it more inclusive. Free Health Screenings including blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, Hands only CPR and associated prevention information • 2nd Tuesday at the COA, 255 Hope Street 9am-12pm • 3rd Wednesday at Town Hall, 6 Park Row 9am-12pm Ms. Donovan -Palmer shared that for the past couple years the department has received funding from the FDA to promote food safety both in the restaurants and with the general population. Unfortunately, we are to believe that the funding is no longer going to happen. Ms. Donovan -Palmer did apply for the 3-year grant for $10,000.00/yr. None. 11 None. Motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:08pm made by Mr. Maxwell, seconded by Ms. West Approved unanimously, 4-0 1►oI2S- Clerk Date