THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020 Page 11 Special Delivery R acism in its many forms, especially structural racism, is a reality. That is not debatable. Those who deny racism’s existence and infl uence are missing its harmful and far-reaching eff ects on the health, wellbeing, and prosperity of our communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare longstanding inequities in health for people of color – in Massachusetts, across the nation, and here in Revere, Black and Brown people have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. The death of George Floyd and others has reignited the Black Lives Matter movement and bolstered calls for racial equity and justice. As a E-CIGARETTE | FROM PAGE 10 gal age before the package is released. State regulations instituted by Healey in 2015 require sellers to ensure shipments of these products are received by a person 21 years or older. Healey’s office alleges that Puff Bar violated An Act modernizing tobacco regulations, the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act and Healey’s ecigarette regulations. Healey’s complaint seeks injunctive relief preventing Puff Bar from continuing to engage in these illegal practices and also seeks civil penalties. In January the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released guidance describing how the agency will prioritize ecigarette enforcement resources, including that it will focus on cartridge-based e-cigarettes. The FDA’s focus on cartridgebased products creates a loophole for self-contained, disposable products – like those sold by Puff Bar – that are popular among young people. In Massachusetts, An Act modernizing tobacco regulations prohibits all fl avored products from being sold in the state – both in cartridge-based and disposRevere fi re fi ghters and emergency personnel are shown at the scene following the delivery of a baby the side of Lee Burbank Highway last Thursday. See Story on Page 17. (Photos courtesy of Revere Fire Dept.) ~ OP-ED ~ Will Revere lead or fall behind? result, organizations of all types are revisiting their commitments to end racism, and leaders at all levels are urgently trying to fi gure out how to make meaningful change. Will Revere lead or fall behind? As the leader of an organization that has worked in this community for more than 20 years, I have come to admire the ease with which this community rallies and comes together for important causes – my expectations are high. During its June meeting, the City Council decided to table the appointment of Dimple Rana as the executive director of the newly activated Human Rights Commission. This appointment able forms – but this loophole allows these disposable products to more easily make their way into the hands of young people in the state and across the nation. In February, Healey joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general urging the FDA to expand and strengthen its enforcement guidance to include menthol fl avors and products that are not cartridge based. Preliminary data from the 2019 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey from the spring of 2019 show that the percentage of high school students in Massachusetts who have used vape products is at an all-time high, at more than 50 percent, with more than 30 percent reporting that they had used vape products in the past month. Young people are exposed to e-cigarette marketing on social media at growing rates and are often unaware that these vaping products contain nicotine – a substance that can interfere with adolescent brain development – and other ingredients that are harmful to their health. The full range of health impacts of e-cigarettes is still unknown, and the public health system is struggling to develop and implement eff ecwould have fi nally put the commission into action. Failure to do so has delayed the formation of an important body of local government, charged with ensuring the protection of equal rights and opportunities for all. Cities and towns around the state have recently activated their own human rights commissions, with a focus on protecting immigrant communities, a frequent target of discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, credit, schools, and public service, among others. Each of these areas impacts health, a point emphasized by Mayor Brian Arrigo when he declared racism a public health crisis and moved to staff such a tive cessation methods to meet the needs of young people and their families. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Healey and Massachusetts General Hospital issued a warning to the public about the potential increased dangers and risks associated with smoking and vaping for young people and adults. Healey was the fi rst Attorney General to announce an investigation into JUUL Labs, Inc., and in February her offi ce sued the company for creating a youth vaping epidemic by intentionally marketing and selling its e-cigarettes to young people. Healey’s offi ce also sued eight other online e-cigarette companies for selling fl avored products in Massachusetts and obtained court orders to halt those sales and deliveries while the cases are pending. The offi ce sued Eonsmoke, LLC (now not in business per its website) for marketing and selling products to young people with fl avors like “gummy bear” and “cotton candy.” Healey’s offi ce also sent cease and desist demands to Direct Eliquid, LLC and Kilo E-Liquids, ordering the retailers to stop selling electronic cigarettes in Massachusetts without an adequate age verifi - commission. Revere CARES stands by Mayor Arrigo and his appointment of Dimple Rana as executive director of the Human Rights Commission. We have known and worked with Dimple for 10 years, and her accomplishments during this time have significantly benefi tted Revere. We appreciate her strong leadership, capacity to be fair and fl exible, and to continue to learn. Quite simply, Dimple Rana is one of the community’s most passionate advocates. On behalf of Revere CARES, I encourage the City Council, on Monday, July 27, to approve the appointment of Dimple Rana as the executive director of the cation system. As a result of the lawsuit and cease and desist letters, these companies are no longer selling to Massachusetts rescity’s Human Rights Commission. This important step will jumpstart the critical community-wide work that I believe we all are committed to advancing. Signed, Sylvia R. Chiang Revere CARES Coalition Director Community Coalition supported by the MGH Center for Community Health Improvement Reverend Nicholas Granitsas Founding member of the Revere CARES Coalition Carol A. Tye Founding member of the Revere CARES Coalition idents. The AG’s Offi ce continues to investigate e-cigarette companies that it suspects are violating state law.
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