Peabody Board of Health Director Sharon Cameron said that the board is looking to start discussions on the tobacco-free generation proposal, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to people born after a certain year, similar to what other nearby cities and towns have recently enacted, as early as next month. 

“Some of the communities nearby are moving forward with having public hearings,” Cameron said, adding that they themselves have been receiving inquiries regarding the matter. “I think there’s a lot to this…this is a big decision to make.”

Cameron said that they want to properly post an agenda on the discussion so that people are aware of it, even though a hearing that would change regulations has not been scheduled yet. “I wanted you to start thinking about it,” Cameron said to the other Board members.

In other board news, Cameron gave updates on rodent control in the area, specifically their ongoing fertility control and mechanical traps program that have killed as many as 600 rats since they started.

“We have these 25 devices deployed mostly in central Peabody areas where we have had a lot of complaints,” Cameron said.

Cameron added that areas with the most amount of catches have been in public buildings such as in schools, and in areas near dumpsters.

“We had identified issues with the dumpsters and a lot of our schools not being clean, not being covered and things like that,” Cameron said, adding that they have reached out to vendors to repair the dumpsters. “We’re hoping that will help things.”

Cameron said that they feel that they need to be more aggressive with trash management issues in the city, which includes managing food sources. 

“The inspectors and I are working on a protocol to have them really focus on commercial dumpsters throughout the city,” Cameron said. “And you know, one day a week, just systematically go street by street and start issuing tickets. And you know, we’ll start with a warning ticket and some education. But after that, we’re really going to have to be aggressive because it’s absolutely driving the problem.”

Cameron said that based on her meetings with other public health directors on the North Shore, who she meets with at least three times a month, everyone is dealing with the same issues and that Peabody has a more comprehensive program because of the fertility control program, in addition to more traditional methods.