The Information and Education Virtual Day of Action was an opportunity for California tobacco prevention community advocates to raise their voices against tobacco. We did this by posting on social media, emailing legislators, and attending caucus meetings. We let policy makers know that while California has come a long way in the fight against tobacco, our most critical work lies ahead.
June 21, 2020
By: Lucia Alvarez-Malo Flores
On June 16, Lucia Alvarez-Malo Flores and Jessica Pugel, Research Assistants at the Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center, attended the Information and Education Virtual Day of Action via Zoom. The event was organized by the Tobacco Endgame Center for Organizing & Engagement and consisted of a full day of tobacco-related legislative education, social media and messaging training, as well as seven different legislative caucus meetings.
A noteworthy moment came when Assembly Member Jim Wood, who described his experience growing up with parents who smoked, said that his house and clothes always smelled like smoke. What Assembly Member Wood was experiencing was thirdhand smoke. He highlighted that state government has restrictions on what it can do, often stopping anti-smoking policies before they can even come to a vote. Wood emphasized that local governments do not have the same restrictions, suggesting them as a good place to start smoke-free policies.
When asked about her biggest takeaway, Jessica Pugel claimed, “It’s invigorating to know that there are a LOT of people working toward healthier, smokefree lives right here in California.”
Starting immediately, the Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center plans to implement the skills learned from this event to elevate our voices in the fight against Big Tobacco.
