Y Street ❘ Promoting a Healthy Virginia

Hello! My name is Aliyah and I am currently a sophomore at Granby High School in Norfolk. This is my very first year joining Y Street! So far, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in many opportunities to promote our campaigns Share The Air and Rev Your Bev. Participating in campaign activities has provided me with a more in-depth understanding of the issues within my community and methods in which I can bring about positive change.

The Share The Air campaign focuses on creating cleaner, healthier public spaces free of tobacco litter and secondhand smoke and aerosol. Secondhand smoke from tobacco and e-cigarette products has harmful effects on people’s health, especially individuals with asthma. Tobacco smoke is one of the most common asthma triggers.[1] Children with this condition are at risk for asthma attacks and other dangerous symptoms, which can be fatal.[2]

Since the age of five, I’ve experienced the effects of having asthma. Exposure to secondhand smoke has been a significant trigger, yet a difficult one to avoid in some outdoor public areas. Thus, upon being introduced to the Share The Air campaign, I was immediately interested and desired to contribute to an initiative that would benefit those vulnerable to this issue, including fellow asthma sufferers.

In participating in Y Street in the future, I look forward to communicating with policymakers and other key decision-makers to promote policies that create 100% tobacco-free and e-cigarette-free outdoor public areas and other important needs of my community. I also hope to take on more leadership roles to help lead the effort to make Virginia a healthier place. Overall, I’m grateful to be able to use my voice to enact change!

Want to help support Share The Air? Click here to fill out a Support Card and be sure to use my Member ID# → 18168.

[1, 2] Share The Air Campaign. (2019). Share The Air [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from https://sharetheairva.com/

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