Contact:
Mara Powell
502-895-8167 *122
mpowell@kyyouth.org

Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates

Kids win when their leaders prioritize them, and the Senate Health and Welfare Committee did just that today with their passage of House Bill 11. With more and more Kentucky middle and high school students using tobacco products like e-cigarettes, a statewide tobacco-free school campus policy is the step in the right direction to protect the next generation from the harms of tobacco and nicotine.

Prohibiting tobacco use creates an environment where smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes is not the norm, reduces teen tobacco use, and provides positive adult role modeling. And a tobacco-free school campus policy that expands across the state can help prevent students from ever risking addiction and protect all students, faculty, staff, and visitors from the harms of secondhand exposure to smoke, aerosol, and residue.

We applaud Chairwoman Moser and Chairman Alvarado for their leadership on House Bill 11. We thank members of the Senate Health and Welfare for supporting this measure and we look forward to its passage by the full Senate.

Stay up-to-date on Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priorities and other bills that are good for kids on our Kentucky General Assembly Bill Tracker.

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About Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky Youth Advocates believes all children deserve to be safe, healthy, and secure. As THE independent voice for Kentucky’s children, we work to ensure policymakers create investments and policies that are good for children. Learn more at www.kyyouth.org.