Oakland

Opinion: Youth Voices on Oakland’s Flavored Tobacco Ban

Published

9 years ago

September 18, 2017

Oakland Post

By La Clinica de La Raza

The Sweet Influence of a Harmful Product and Addictive Habit.

Research proves many smokers today get hooked at a young age. Many of the youth from the Peer Health Education Program at La Clinica de La Raza have family members that smoke and have seen first-hand the unfortunate health risks they encounter and the financial disadvantages they struggle with. Therefore, many of the teenagers in the program choose to become involved in tobacco-prevention to help close family members become aware of the harms of tobacco use in hope that they quit.

The sweet influence of a harmful product is commonly used among teens, as Lizbeth Bautista, 16-year-old Life Academy student shares, “flavored-tobacco is incredibly popular among teens and the research shows the younger someone smokes the harder it is for them to quit. The tobacco industry purposely targets teenagers with flavored-tobacco because as they grow older the more tobacco they will buy, as addiction is a real thing.”

The tobacco industry uses packaging, pricing, and most importantly flavors to lure new young customers to picking up the addictive habit.

Lupe Hernandez, 15-year-old Life Academy student, has observed just like many of her peers the concern regarding flavored-tobacco products that are generally used by her peers.

She says, “Near my school there is a liquor store where I see classmates and other teenagers purchase flavored-tobacco products and use them at the park next to my school. It is a problem because these teenagers are exposing themselves to the addictive product that they are able to purchase for under a dollar without being carded. This issue affects my community in that young people are being targeted by the luring candy-flavored tobacco products.”

Many of the high school youth participants in the Peer Health Education Program at La Clinica de La Raza have been impacted in some shape or form by the tobacco products that seem to penetrate our most vulnerable community members, our young people! Many of the students have seen first-hand the struggles with addiction of tobacco products from the common use of seeing classmates and family members using tobacco products. It is these first-hand experiences in which have driven the youth to do something on this issue by speaking up about the importance of city-wide sales restrictions on flavored tobacco product, as they hope to prevent young people from becoming future smokers from the luring candy-flavors to the inexpensive access of purchasing these products. Addiction of tobacco is real, and preventing another generation of smokers is what the peer health educators aim to do.

The inexpensive, sweet candy tobacco-flavored products purposely targets youth to get them hooked at a young age at a high cost of long-term health problems. Two Peer Health Educators from Life Academy have shared their experiences of how tobacco affects their family, friends, and community and will continue to advocate for preventive solutions.

The Peer Health Educators from La Clinica de La Raza understand the importance of a city-wide ban on the sale of flavored-tobacco products and know this solution resides with moving into the right direction in protecting their peers to help prevent another generation of smokers.

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Related Topics:flavored tobacco La Clinica de la Raza Oakland Opinion Tobacco Ban

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC