We are eighth graders at Ephraim Curtis Middle School in Sudbury, Massachusetts, who are working on a civics project to reduce the use of tobacco and nicotine-based products by teenagers. The widespread use of nicotine and tobacco products continues to pose a significant health threat to our society, particularly with high school students. In 2023, it is estimated that 16.0% of high school students in Massachusetts reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. In contrast, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 7.8% of U.S. high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. The enormous difference between these numbers shows that the use of nicotine and tobacco products by Massachusetts teenagers is alarming. Given this data, it is time to consider a solution that will prevent tobacco use among youth - namely, a generational ban on tobacco. By passing Massachusetts Senate Bill SD1317, which will enact a generational ban throughout our state, many people will never take up smoking, never get addicted, and never face the health consequences caused by tobacco-based products.

We urge Massachusetts state legislators to implement a statewide generational ban on nicotine and tobacco products, just as some towns in Massachusetts have already done, including Brookline, Winchester, Wakefield, Stoneham, and others. This law would prevent anyone born after 2004 (if passed this year) from purchasing these harmful products, and gradually phase out their use entirely for future generations. Research from the American Lung Association has shown that these bans are already working. People are more likely to develop an addiction to nicotine at a younger age, and the bans in Massachusetts towns are already reducing nicotine and tobacco use among people under the age of 21. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of adults who smoke daily first tried a cigarette before the age of 18. In addition, many  studies have shown that nicotine and tobacco contribute to a variety of severe health problems, including heart disease, cancer, and lung disease. Passing Senate Bill SD1317 will establish a generational ban that offers an innovative method to prevent, or at least reduce, the risk of developing these easily avoidable diseases and, in turn, saving many lives.

Let's protect future generations from the horrible effects of nicotine and tobacco use. Your signature on our petition will signal to the Massachusetts legislature the urgent need to enact this powerful legislation and help to create a healthier Massachusetts. Please sign this petition now to indicate your support for the health of young people. By signing your name, you may help save someone's life.

Thank you - Devon Berkel, Cole Bowhers, Declan Coen, Arav Gordon, Zain Paulson, Geoffrey Wilmot, and Sebastian Yauckoes. 

Picture credit: California Department of Public Health