Board of Aldermen 04-09-2019 Page 14
is it not worth it to pass it? If it can save people like my brother from going down these roads is it not worth
it? | Know it is not going to solve the problem 100% but it is a step in the right direction. | also have heard
people say that kids can go to Hudson, they can go to Merrimack, they can go to other towns, but | would
like to remind you all that the City of Nashua has the second biggest population in New Hampshire with
roughly 88,000 residents. Is it not our duty to set an example as a major City in New Hampshire? Today
we have that chance to set the bar high and join other communities like Dover, Keene and Newmarket, who
have already made changes with regards to smoking. If the second biggest City in New Hampshire can
raise the age from 18 to 21 to purchase and distribute tobacco products, what is stopping the rest of the
State from following? I’m sure if we can do this today that Hudson and Merrimack can start a similar
movement. It isn’t just what we do for our City that counts, it is the example that we set for other Cities that
truly matters. The opportunity that we have for our City today is a step towards making all of New
Hampshire a better State for our youth.
| would like to state a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt which states “We cannot always build the future for
our youth, but we can build our youth for the future”. Today right now each one of us has the chance to
build our youth for a future of happiness and health. The difference that we make today is a difference that
could save lives. The tobacco industry has stated, in 2007, that the smoking industry claimed in 2007 when
E-Cigarettes were first imported into the US that they were smoking cessation tools. However, according to
the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 20.8% of high school students reported using E-Cigarettes
and 4.9% of middle school students reported the same, making E-Cigarettes the most popular method of
tobacco use for youth in the United States.
Unlike traditional cigarettes, E-Cigarette marketing is not restricted, thus they are being advertised on
television, in magazines, at concert events, at music festivals and sporting events and kids are noticing. |
would like to direct your attention to this advertisement | have here. As someone mentioned earlier, JUUL
is one of the most common vaping and as we can see from its advertisement, as we can see from this
advertisement itself, the JUUL Company is advising that we raise the age from 18 to 21. So when the
JUUL Company itself is advising this, then | think we should all be concerned. The fact is we really don’t
know what the long-term effects of vaping is, it hasn’t been properly researched. But | understand that
today this has been less of a debate over the health the health of our youth but more of a debate about
whether or not we should choose money over our youth. | think we can all say that the health of our youth
is important than making money for the City. Thank you.
Adhvika Arun Hi my name is Advika Arun | am not a resident of Nashua, actually | am a resident of
Londonderry but | have come here today as a representative of Londonderry and the State of New
Hampshire. As stated before by Mr. O’Donnell, when you are 18 you can vote, you can adopt a child, so
many other things, but those things that you are allowed to do when you are 18, those do not have
biological effects. Things like smoking, drinking, doing drugs like marihuana and cocaine, those all have
severe biological effects on the body. And when Nicotine is entering an undeveloped body and
undeveloped brain, disastrous effects can happen. And | don’t think we want for our youth and the future of
our City.
Additionally | just wanted to state again that | am coming here from Londonderry because | really want this
to happen; not only in Nashua but in all throughout New Hampshire. | think Nashua would be a great
example and would set a great example for our country and even our State. | just want to say that Nicotine
has severe biological effects, it manipulates the neurotransmitter called acetylcholine which is very
important for muscle movement, heart rate, all things that can easily go wrong when the system is hijacked.
Lastly | just want to end with a quote by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Benjamin Disraeli from
the 19" Century. He stated “that the youth of a nation are the trustees of posterity” | feel that the City of
Nashua and maybe even the State of New Hampshire, | feel like we should stay true to this maxim and we
should take care of our youth and our brains. As a representative of the youth of New Hampshire | hope
that this Ordinance can be passed, thank you.
