In my activism with LGBTQ Minus Tobacco, we were invited to table at the Jesse Bethel High School mental health fair as part of Mental Health Awareness Month in May.

This was a pleasant experience. The kids were receptive to us being there and asked a lot of questions, knowing in large part how harmful smoking and vaping are to our communities. As many know, the insidious tobacco industry in particular targets communities like LGBTQ and BIPOC, causing them to smoke at higher rates.

Some of our team poses after our rushed presentation:

I have the privilege of presenting with a coalition of organizations at the City Council meeting Tuesday night, April 25, about a very important subject that will make a difference for the future of Vallejo youth if we can get it adopted.  Last year with the same coalition LGBTQ Minus Tobacco, Bay Area Community Resources and VibeSolano, we successfully got a Smokefree Multi-Unit Housing ordinance passed unanimously. 

After Proposition 31 prohibiting the sale of most tobacco flavors in California (including menthol) passed last November, it is important that we give some teeth to the new rules that are designed to protect our youth from access to very addictive nicotine products like cigarettes, cigarillos, vapes, cigars, hookah, etc. It’s shocking how many products every tobacco retailer in Vallejo I visited in January had available.  Most alarming was that some of the delivery devices looked like highlighters and USB drives to help youth hide their tobacco consumption from teachers and parents.  This is by design.

Some of you know that I’ve been volunteering against Big Tobacco since losing my father when he was fifty due to his smoking, not to mention other family members.  I encourage Vallejo residents to speak in favor of a TRL by doing one of the following if you are so inclined.

Here is a fact sheet on TRL’s: