By Patrick Adrian
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CLAREMONT — Though the city has no legal power to stop local retailers from selling pipes for smoking crack cocaine and methamphetamine, the Claremont City Council hopes that public discussion and exposure might encourage store owners to rethink what they are selling.
On Wednesday, the city council met with Claremont Police Chief Mark Chase to discuss possible city recourse against local businesses — particularly those located within school zones — from selling paraphernalia popularly used for highly dangerous street drugs.
The council’s primary attention was directed at “rose vase” pipes, glass smoking pipes that are commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. The pipes derive their name from a fake decorative rose that is often slipped into the pipe, to give an appearance of a romantic novelty gift, according to online sources.
“I received a complaint from a citizen who went into a gas station, and the person right in front of his family discards the packaging and blows out the flower,” said Councilor Nicholas Koloski, who wanted the council to discuss the issue as a way to raise public awareness.
“Maybe the private owners in the community will want to rethink selling this garbage to people in the community,” Koloski added.
The most problematic seller to the council is the Mobil gas station located at 114 Pleasant St., which shares the same block as Stevens High School.
Though no councilor identified the station in question, the Eagle Times confirmed that the Mobil on Pleasant Street in Claremont sells rose-vase pipes. The pipes are kept behind the counter and are not visibly displayed. When our reporter asked if they sold “pink pipes” — reportedly a slang term for these pipes — the store attendant pulled out their two varieties, each with different stem lengths.
Councilor Erica Sweetser conducted her own research by purchasing one of the rose vase pipes and bringing it to the council meeting for an educational show-and-tell.
“This pipe was actually [sold] in a [reused] 5-Hour Energy drink box,” Sweetser said. “There was nothing saying that it was age-restricted or tobacco related.”
These pipes, however, are not illegal to sell, Chase said. The line between drug paraphernalia and other items is generally difficult to legally enforce. Additionally, New Hampshire’s legal definitions for what constitutes drug paraphernalia are much less strict than in neighboring New England states.
“It doesn’t really become drug paraphernalia until it’s used,” Chase told the council. “Some stores choose to sell these products. And I think legally they can.”
Even if Claremont sought to create a new ordinance against these pipes or paraphernalia, even if it is within a school zone, would be incredibly difficult for the police department to enforce, Chase said.
Councilor Jon Stone noted that, without the strict state laws in place, creating a local ordinance is more likely to be deemed unconstitutional by the state.
Councilor James Contois said that the council’s goal should be “to have these conversations,” with the intent to generate public attention and dialogue.
“I know that people are watching this because every day I get comments from people about what we are saying,” Contois said. “I think we should take a position as a council that we are not for this junk, that selling this pipe in a school zone is not okay… But it’s only going to be a public outcry if we stop these things.”
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