City Council Joins Letter Penned by YLC

Advocating for a Statewide Ban on the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products

December 19, 2023 – LAKE OSWEGO CITY HALL

Members of the Lake Oswego Youth Leadership Council were roundly praised by members of the City Council on Tuesday, following a presentation by Naomi Robinson, Liam Aranda-Michel, Allison Korkola, and Cara Chen.

“I’m looking at the four of you, and [the other YLC members] behind you, as the generation who is going to show us how things are supposed to be done.” – Councilor Ali Afghan

 “I think the Beautyful Ones [referencing Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born] are born now – you are here, in front of us, and I am very proud.” – Councilor Massene Mboup

“You guys presented extremely well… I have so much faith in this generation, you just knocked it out of the park.” – Councilor John Wendland

Members of the Youth Leadership Council spent the fall researching the viability and potential impact of a statewide ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products.  They traveled to Oregon City to meet with Clackamas County Public Health Officials, analyzed existing conditions, rates of youth use, and common marketing tactics employed by tobacco companies.  Members reviewed academic articles considering the impact of a statewide ban on youth use and access, health disparities between different population groups, and on the success of local businesses.  Members also researched states that have implemented similar policies, those currently considering bans, and reviewed the text of the most recent proposed legislation in Oregon.

Having synthesized all this information and weighed competing community needs, members of the Youth Leadership Council opted to build a coalition of local support urging statewide action.

YLC members Dristhi Singh, Anders Erdenberger, Sevens Baertsch Kovalchik, and Kasen Shi led the drafting of a letter to Senate President Rob Wagner, the full text of which can be found here.  Members of the Lake Oswego City Council formally joined as signatories at their December 19th meeting, which can be viewed here.

The next stop for the Youth Leadership Council advocacy effort is the Lake Oswego School Board – where, on January 9th, they will be inviting the School Board Directors to join the City Council as signatories of the joint letter.