How old she is: 16
Where she goes to school: Madison Park High School
What program she belongs to: Young at Arts Tobacco Fighters
Where she lives: South Boston
What does she have to say about leadership and tobacco control advocacy?
“I am helping to “Get the Word Out” about the danger of tobacco products by participating in the store alert surveys in South Boston. We look at how much advertising is displayed inside and outside of local stores and the bad effect it has on our neighborhood. When we really took a close look at the stores in my neighborhood I was shocked and angry to realize what the tobacco companies are trying to do to us youth. I have learned to not pay attention to all their pretty signs and to realize that tobacco kills people everyday.”

How old he is: 15
Where he goes to school: Chicopee High School
What program he belongs to: Valley Opportunity Council
Where he lives: Chicopee
What does he have to say about leadership and tobacco control advocacy?
“I helped with a movie production, a play on flavored tobacco [at Valley Opportunity Council]. I wanted to do this because I know how important it is to spread the message to other youth who are thinking about trying the new flavored cigarettes. I believe that a leader is a person in whom you should be able to count on; he knows what he is doing, and is always looking for the well of the people. A leader must be an example. I don’t smoke and people know that.”

How old she is: 16
Where she goes to school: Cape Cod Technical High School
What club she belongs to: Health Tech
Where she lives: Harwich
What does she have to say about leadership and tobacco control advocacy?
“The work that I am doing to get the word out [about tobacco] in my school has an effect on some of the students who come through the class [about smoking]. Some of the students realize how disgusting it is to smoke after learning all the things in a cigarette and how much they spend on cigarettes. I have done a program with the Board of Health to go around and try to buy cigarettes from the stores. [They] greatly appreciate when I help to do this because it helps keep under aged smokers from buying cigarettes.”

How old he is: 17
Where he goes to school: Hopkins Academy
What club he belongs to: Teens Against Destructive Actions
Where he lives: Hadley
What does he have to say about leadership and tobacco control advocacy?
“Tobacco issues and drug issues on the whole, have always been very important to me. Growing up, both my parents and my grandmother smoked, and so I knew from an early age what tobacco products could do. Now within our group [TADA] environment, I am taking a more active role, creating bulletin boards, announcements, and posters to educate against tobacco. I would much rather explain to people why tobacco is bad, rather than preach to them to abstain from its usage.”