On Kick Butts Day, a national celebration of youth advocacy, over 150 Massachusetts teenagers met with legislators at the State House Grand Staircase for a high-energy, youth-led event highlighting Massachusetts' youth powerful efforts to prevent tobacco. The Boston event at the State House was one of more than 2,000 events nationwide and statewide.

Featuring adults and youth working together, the event showcased local tobacco prevention initiatives in local communities and gave youth a chance to meet with their legislators to build positive relationships, discuss how "Big Tobacco" targets youth, and inform legislators about activities statewide and in their neighborhoods to educate peers and facilitate positive change.

Youth shared inspiring stories about ways they've made a difference and used striking visuals to make their point. Enxhi Popa, 16, Somerville High student expressed, "I'm excited to have legislators hear what youth need."

Kick Butts Day is hosted by Tobacco Free Mass (TFM) and Representative Sean Garballey. During the event, TFM revealed poll data showing how residents feel about an increased tax on tobacco products other than cigarettes. According to TFM Vice Chair Dr. Rick Donahue, "Kick Butts Day is a vibrant, informative annual event that strives to recognize the powerful work youth do every day to fight tobacco. Beyond rhetoric, these youth are taking action and making a difference."

Added Rep. Garballey, "We applaud youth tobacco prevention efforts! We as legislators need to be informed about tobacco's profound impact on our community's health."

The event featured youth from the following organizations and communities:

• BOLD Teens, Dorchester
• HOPE Coalition, Worcester
• Project RIGHT, Dorchester
• BEACON Coalition, Newburyport
• REACH Program, Springfield
• Vietnamese American Civic Association, Dorchester
• GIFTS Peer Leaders, Fitchburg
• YWCA's TASK, Malden
• Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse, Reading
• Southie Youth Task Force, South Boston
• Vietnamese Eucharist Youth Society, Springfield
• Stoughton H.S. SADD, Stoughton
• Sociedad Latina, Mission Hill
• And others!

Representing hundreds of youth, these teen leaders are dedicated to tobacco-free communities, and making youth voices heard when it comes to the state's youth tobacco prevention resources, and demonstrates how youth have an unprecedented level of influence on the state's public health efforts.

Mass Youth Against Tobacco, a project of Health Resources in Action, is designed to engage Massachusetts youth ages 12 to 18 (or grade 7-12) in a statewide movement against tobacco. Mass Youth Against Tobacco is funded through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and managed by Health Resources in Action.

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