Arlington Student Project Aims To Curb Smoking Addiction And Litter

ARLINGTON, MA — High school students are encouraging their peers to embrace a healthier lifestyle with its new initiative.

Arlington High School’s Arlington Students About Prevention club recently launched its “Drop It” project that aims to reduce the amount of smoking and vaping done by the community and in turn reduce the litter it produces. Five yellow drop boxes were spread in different locations throughout the town in February which act as a disposal location for vaping materials. In addition, each box has a QR code on the front that takes users to various resources and materials that can help them quit the habit. The boxes were modified by the Arlington High School woodshop program and the stickers were designed by senior Eli Slotnick.

“By reducing vaping litter and offering a safe disposal route for nicotine products, the students are addressing both an environmental and health hazard," Prevention Services Manager Karen Koretsky said. "The students wanted to include cessation resources to be supportive of their peers. We applaud them for developing such a creative, community-minded project and thank Health Resources in Action for funding their vision."

The initiative was kickstarted when club members conducted an environmental scan of the town’s landscape and discovered areas where there was a lot of discarded smoking material that had not been properly thrown out. “Drop it” was paid for through a $5,000 grant from Health Resources in Action’s Creative Spark fund. The fund is a grant program managed by Health Resources in Action in partnership with The 84 Movement, a youth-led initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

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