“People who smoke menthol cigarettes are also less likely to successfully quit smoking than other people who smoke.” (See the Flavors Hook Kids website.) Tell me about it! Most of my smoker friends who cannot quit are menthol cigarette smokers- and they have tried quitting multiple ways!

But this is about hooking the next generation of tobacco users. I wish my brother could share his strong belief that kids should not be hooked. He lost his battle in February when his lungs just could not get him enough oxygen anymore and he died about six hours after being taken off life support. You do not want to go that way. I know how he suffered. And 1 in every 5 deaths is from a tobacco-related illness (CDC).

How do kids get hooked? Flavored tobacco products: menthol, mints and fruit flavors usually packaged in colorful, playful, kid-enticing packaging. Kids believe these are not as dangerous as regular cigarettes but they do that one thing: Addict you to nicotine.

Many of us believe nicotine should be classified as an illegal drug. After all, three quarters of Mainers are concerned about kids getting hooked on tobacco products. We can make a big dent in that by taking flavored tobacco off our markets. There is proposed legislation this session to save our kids, L.D. 1215.

Save our kids! Call, write, email your legislators to support L.D. 1215, “An Act to End the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products.”

Priscilla Jenkins

Winthrop

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