Boston Public Health Commission

The Boston Public Health Commission, the oldest health department in the United States, is an independent public agency providing a wide range of health services and programs. It is governed by a seven-member board of health appointed by the Mayor of Boston. Its mission is to "protect, preserve, and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly those who are most vulnerable." The commission is headquartered at 1010 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston.

History
In 1799, The Boston Board of Health was established to combat any potential cholera outbreaks. Paul Revere was Boston's first health commissioner.

In 1864 the Boston City Hospital opened, managed by the board.

The Boston Public Health Act of 1995 caused the organization of the current commission. In 1996, the modern Boston Public Health Commission opened after the Boston City Hospital (founded 1864) and Boston University Hospital (founded 1855) were merged into the Boston Medical Center. This was the first full merger in the United States of a public hospital with a private academic medical center and its hospital.

Tobacco Regulation
In 2008, the BPHC banned the sale of "blunt wraps," tobacco-leaf papers that are used to make marijuana cigarettes, in Boston. In April 2009 a Massachusetts judge upheld the ban.