Penquis Valley senior interns with Flavors Hook Kids Maine
PORTLAND – Four Maine students wrapped up the school year by also wrapping up a 10-week internship with Flavors Hook Kids Maine. The campaign has been working to encourage communities, and the Maine Legislature, to end the sale of flavored tobacco products. The four students came from different parts of Maine, including Megan Whitten from Milo who is a a senior at Penquis Valley High School.
“The interns we’ve had over the last 10 weeks of the school year were tremendous,” said Julia Panepinto, field director for Flavors Hook Kids Maine. “Not only did they provide a lot of help for this organization, but they all firmly believed in the cause. It is no secret that flavored tobacco products are designed to hook younger tobacco users at an early age. These interns have seen it first hand and they are fed up with big tobacco hooking people their age on what could be a lifetime of addiction, all in the name of larger profits. They know it’s disgusting and they worked very hard to put an end to it.”
In addition to Whitten, Issak Hynd of Warren, Fern Beede of Bowdoinham, and MacKenzie Schors of Machias interned on the campaign. During the students’ experience, Portland and Brunswick each passed an ordinance ending the sale of flavored tobacco products in their communities. The Bangor City Council was the first to pass such an ordinance in the fall of 2021. The Bangor ordinance was to take effect on June 1, along with Portland and Brunswick. However, Bangor’s ordinance was repealed due to a procedural issue. The Bangor City Council now must go through the entire process again, starting with a workshop.
“These students saw first hand how grassroots support for causes can work,” said Panepinto. “They saw municipal government, state government, and local organizers in action, and they saw some great progress and momentum for a cause they believe in. I know it was a terrific experience for all of them, and they all have had the opportunity to learn about everything from government to leadership in their 10-weeks with this organization.”
More details can be found at www.FlavorsHookKidsMaine.org.