My name is Braylee Hill and I am a junior at Jay High School. I have worked on the CounterAct Tobacco campaign with YAHL for the past year. The CounterAct Tobacco campaign works to eliminate preemption so local communities can pass stricter tobacco laws. We also advocate for retailer licensing to sell vapes. This would make it harder for youth to get ahold of vapes, e-cigarettes and nicotine-only products.

I have met with my chamber of commerce and city council members in Jay, Oklahoma to talk about CounterAct Tobacco in hopes that we can work together to advocate for eliminating preemption. I decided to support this campaign to help prevent youth from accessing tobacco and nicotine products so they do not become lifelong smokers and can live healthier lives.

My mom has been a smoker since she was young and this has had a lifelong effect on her health, making it harder for her to recover from illnesses. My goal is to help prevent others from experiencing the same thing. I think Oklahomans should support the CounterAct Tobacco campaign because Oklahoma is one of only five states with a preemption law in place. Local communities should be able to pass their own tobacco laws so we can create a healthier Oklahoma for our youth and future generations.

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By: Braylee Hill, Jay High School