Local youth provide testimony on dangers of tobacco to Joint Finance Committee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lorraine Lathen
April 22, 2019
Members of the Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network (WAATPN) and Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Poverty Network FACT groups, joined hundreds of Wisconsinites last week to provide a testimonial to the state’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC). Their message for JFC, ‘we’re worried about losing a whole new generation of kids to tobacco.’
“As long as we continue to allow the tobacco industry to market candy and fruit flavor tobacco products to us, things aren’t going to get any better,” said Christiana, whose been a member of FACT for five years.
Christiana, who grew up in a household of smokers, said she joined FACT because of the negative impact that smoking had on her health.
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“I have asthma and it didn’t help that as a child I was exposed to secondhand smoke every day,” she told the committee.
FACT member Nia also testified to the JFC that day, talking to members about a friend who she challenged to try to quit vaping for a week.
“She didn’t last a day,” she said.
Nia also thanked the state legislators for their efforts to decrease the impact of tobacco.
“I want to thank the state for helping us to work towards creating a generation of tobacco free kids, and the support they provide us to spread the truth about tobacco to our peers,” she said.