In Maine’s rural communities, people care about each other. You know your neighbors’ names, their stories, and they know yours. That’s why it’s hard to ignore the toll that tobacco use takes on our close-knit communities. As an MSAD 40 school board member and step-parent, I see first hand how young kids get hooked on tobacco, and I think it’s time we do something about it. 

In Maine, 33 percent of high school students use tobacco, and four out of five of those students say they began with a flavored product. Flavors like gummi bear, sugar cookie, and cherry dynamite, are doing exactly what they are intended to do; attracting kids to tobacco products. 

Once the flavors have drawn kids in, the nicotine is what keeps them coming back for more. Nicotine is an extremely addictive chemical, which can also have harmful effects on the lungs, heart, and brain. 

Rural communities typically have higher rates of tobacco use, but we have a chance to break that cycle. I urge our Maine lawmakers to help us protect our kids and the future of our rural communities by supporting LD 1550, An Act to End the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products.

Thank you for your consideration.

Morgan Hynd lives in Warren