Those who believe their voices cannot make a difference should look to the example set by students across the continent including many from St. Albert.
Collectively these youths, many under the voting age, began a campaign targeting tobacco companies and what the young lobbyists described as the insidious practice of selling flavoured tobacco in an effort to target young people and raise the next generation of smokers.
Through joint letter writing campaigns and demonstrations, the students pressured their respective governments to end the sale of flavoured tobacco products.
Here in Alberta that fight scored a victory when the province’s flavoured tobacco ban came into effect on June 1. It scored a second win when the NDP announced it would add menthol cigarettes to the ban later this year.
The announcement of the ban was originally made in 2013, making Alberta the first jurisdiction in North America to pass such legislation. Since then, several others have followed suit.
While some would argue that the government has no business telling us what we can and cannot buy, these students have shown us all that with persistence and dedication anyone can affect change.
In a time where youths are often criticized for being apathetic and disengaged it is nice to see some standing up for what they believe in and getting involved.
