(Shari Small/WBZ NewsRadio)
SALEM, N.H. (WBZ NewsRadio) — As Massachusetts state lawmakers vote on a ban on the sale of all menthol and flavored tobacco products, New Hampshire stores are poised to cash in.
The Granite State has already become a destination for some Massachusetts residents seeking vaping products that fall under Gov. Charlie Baker's four-month temporary ban. If Massachusetts decides to ban all flavored tobacco permanently, store owners expect even more of an exodus to ban-less New Hampshire.
Kamal Patel, owner of Discount Stateline Store, a convenience store on the New Hampshire side of the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border, says nearly all of his business comes from Massachusetts.
"It's like around 90 percent Mass. people coming to the border in New Hampshire, so they're saving money," Patel said.
Patel has seen vape sales go up recently with Baker's ban—and if the Commonwealth passes proposed legislation banning flavored tobacco including menthol cigarettes, he says "It's going to increase New Hampshire business, hopefully."
Customers who buy traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes, also say it's worth the trip north.
"I save $4 for each product that I buy here, each one," one customer who made the trip said. "It's all taxes."
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports
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