State Rep. Jonathan Hecht met with Watertown Youth Coalition peer leaders (from left) Kelly Horan, Elisa Portz, and Reem Dia during Kick Butts Day.
Members of the Watertown Youth Coalition visited the Massachusetts State House recently in an effort to stop teen smoking.
The peer leaders joined more than 250 other young adults from across the commonwealth for national Kick Butts Day.
During the event the peer leaders learned about new challenges in curbing smoking from Department of Public Health Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett.
“Tobacco companies have been using cheap prices, glitzy packaging, and widespread availability to market their new, flavored products to young people,” Bartlett said. “Now they’re using those same strategies to market e-hookahs and other types of flavored e-cigarettes at young people. But young people in The 84 Movement are speaking out against these marketing tactics.”
Watertown High School peer leaders joined other youth at the State House on March 19.
The Watertown Youth Coalition is part of the Waylside Youth & Family Support Network, and is made up youth, adults, students, parents, school staff and administrators, and local agencies from the community who promoted healthy lifestyles among the town’s youth and their families.
The peer leaders are Watertown High School students committed to making health choices and and representing their decisions at school and in the community.