Neighbor News
Melrose Youth Participate in Annual Kick Butts Day
Melrose Youth Action Team students traveled to the MA State House for the 84 Movement's annual Kick Butts Day
Melrose Youth Action Team students Yvane Ngassa, June Okada, and Maya Talwar-Hebert participated in the annual Kick Butts Day at the Massachusetts Statehouse on March 16th, 2016 along with 32 other participating chapters from across the Commonwealth. The 84 Movement, which aims to engage young people in educating others about tobacco industry tactics, rallies youth together to celebrate youth making local change and promoting the fact that most youth do not smoke.
Kick Butts Day began with a youth march across the Boston Common. Youth were trained on the tactics used by Big Tobacco to target youth, and how they can educate local legislators about this issue. While at the Statehouse, Melrose youth met with Senator Jason Lewis and Representative Paul Brodeur to express their concerns about tobacco access in their community. They explained how the tobacco industry uses fruit and candy-flavored tobacco products to target young people, and they makes these products cheap and available at places youth frequently visit, such as gas stations and corner stores.
During the celebration Youth Leadership Awards were presented to individuals and chapters of The 84 Movement for their dedication to reducing the impact of tobacco in their communities and across Massachusetts. Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Dr. Monica Bharel and Senate Majority Leader Harriet Chandler also joined the 84 Movement youth to applauded their dedication to promoting healthy choices among their peers and for sharing with legislators what they see and experience every day in their communities.
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The 84 is a program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program, developed and managed in partnership with Health Resources in Action. For more information visit The84.org or makesmokinghistory.org
Photo caption: Representative Paul Brodeur and Senator Jason Lewis with Melrose Youth Action Team members June Okada, Yvane Ngassa, and Maya Talwar-Hebert at Kick Butts Day at the Massachusetts State House.
