Raynham Youth Wins Statewide Award

Recently, young people from Bridging L.I.V.E.S. Peer Leaders at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School attended Kick Butts Day: Youth Day of Action, a virtual event hosted by The 84 Movement, a statewide movement of youth fighting against the tobacco and vaping industries in Massachusetts.

During an awards ceremony, Bridging L.I.V.E.S Peer Leader, Sarah Petit, received the 2021 statewide Youth Leadership Award, given to one young person each year who goes above and beyond in promoting the work of The 84 Movement and embodying what it means to be a leader. Sarah, a senior at Bridgewater-Raynham High School, was recognized for her passion for giving people the information they need to make decisions about substances. Sarah was credited with taking initiative and showing resilience this year, finding new ways to communicate around issues of mental health and substance use during the pandemic.

In her award acceptance speech, Sarah concluded, “I could not be more proud of the work The 84 Movement and all the chapters have done…We have made waves all around us by raising our voices on what matters most to us…We have changed laws for the better to ensure that we are protecting those who are vulnerable. Although there is still work to do, we have already made a mark in our state’s history.”

The 318 youth and adults who attended Kick Butts Day from around the Commonwealth work to educate and mobilize young people in their communities about tobacco and vaping industry targeting. Kick Butts Day took place at the Massachusetts State House in Boston before the pandemic; now The 84 Movement still offers a safe way to celebrate the annual event.

During another part of the Kick Butts Day event, the Bridging L.I.V.E.S. Peer Leaders met virtually with Senator Marc Pacheco. They discussed how the recent removal of flavored tobacco products from Massachusetts stores, including menthol, is an example of how state legislators play an important role in decreasing youth access and exposure to substances within the community. They also discussed current substance use-related issues facing youth and the prevention work that is being done in Bridgewater and Raynham through Bridging L.I.V.E.S.

For more information about Bridging L.I.V.E.S.'s, visit their website at www.brbridginglives.org or on Facebook @BRBridgingLIVES and Twitter @bridginglives. Bridging LIVES is also part of the Brockton Area Prevention Collaborative. Please visit their website at www.opioidoverdoseprevention.org or on social media at Facebook: BrocktonAreaPreventionCollaborative; Twitter: @OD_Prevention and Instagram: OD_Preventionist.

Visit www.The84.org, mass.gov/vaping, and www.makesmokinghistory.org for more information on Massachusetts tobacco and vaping prevention and quitting resources or contact Mary Cole at mcole@baystatecs.org or 617-777-5229.