The Wareham Board of Health discussed on Wednesday whether or not the town should join a growing chorus of communities across the state and country banning plastic bags.

Ultimately, board members chose to research the issue and launch an informational campaign on the bags’ detrimental environmental effects after hearing advice from town attorney Richard Bowen.

“There are a lot of problems with plastic bags everywhere,” said Chair Dr. Amy Wiegandt. “I am totally in favor of no one using a plastic bag. Are we the ones to ban it?”

Bowen explained that Massachusetts towns that have successfully banned plastic bags – such as Barnstable, Newton and Provincetown among 24 others – generally do so by adopting a bylaw. Whether or not a Board of Health mandated ban would withstand a legal challenge is unclear, said Bowen.

“I don’t know because the attorney general does not review your bylaws. Typically, your regulations don’t get reviewed by anyone until you are sued,” said Bowen. “The tried and true path would be passing a bylaw at Town Meeting.”

According to Bowen, should the Board of Health OK a ban, it should be able to establish a link between plastic bags and their negative impact on human health.

“You want to have some sort of nexus between human public health and the plastic bag. Why do I draw that distinction? Because other communities that banned plastic, ringed six-pack holders were able to adopt that based on its harm to sea life,” said Bowen.

Board members addressed a few issues if the ban were put in place, such as providing businesses a grace period to phase out the bags.

“You’ve got to give them warning rather then say, ‘tomorrow, you can’t have any plastic bags anymore,” said member Glenn Monterio.

Selectman Alan Slavin, who attended the meeting, told the board there is legislation under consideration that would ban the bags statewide. Health Agent Robert Ethier said the board shouldn’t wait for the state to take the lead if it did decide to pursue a ban. Ethier noted when the board considered banning flavored tobacco products locally, a statewide ban to that effect was being examined, but it never passed.

At the end of the discussion, Wiegandt said the board wouldn’t place the issue before voters at the upcoming Spring Town Meeting. She didn’t rule out bringing the ban up for a vote at a later Town Meeting.