Could we imagine a world in which nicotine products did not exist? Could such a world be shaped by teens working together to make it happen, and what might that mean for public health? 25-year-old Raven Twilling, Program Coordinator for Bay Area Community Resources in Marin County, discusses how she has helped organize teens to make nicotine products illegal to sell in two California towns.
Raven shares her journey from noticing vaping trends in high school to studying public health and working in her current role and highlights recent successful initiatives, including complete bans on the sale of commercial tobacco and nicotine products in Ross and Tiburon, California.
Most importantly, she explains how young people played a central role in these efforts and how listening to this episode with young people may spark interest in civic action and advocacy.
Marin County Tobacco Prevention Program
Truth Initiative (educational content)
Marin Youth Advocacy Committee
KickIt California (free quit support for anyone in CA 13+)
Board of Supervisors (Marin Unincorporated) News Article
00:00 Introduction to Raven and BACR
00:16 Raven's Journey into Nicotine Prevention
01:38 Current Work and Responsibilities at BACR
02:46 Policy Advocacy and Recent Wins
03:51 Arguments for Nicotine Product Bans
06:13 Youth Involvement and Community Impact
07:51 Process of Implementing Local Laws
11:44 Marin County's Recent Policy Changes
25:58 Challenges and Enforcement Issues
27:11 Encouraging Youth Involvement
28:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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