Supervisor Stevens urges students to reject tobacco amid local rise in use

Supervisor Jeff Stevens used the board’s meeting at Sutter Union High School to deliver a personal and emotional appeal to students about the health dangers of tobacco and nicotine products after referencing a recent county health report that showed an increase in local tobacco use.

Stevens told students he had lost family members to tobacco‑related cancer and described repeated, long‑running struggles he witnessed in relatives and friends. "I have buried enough people to know how this story ends... If my parents were not there and she needed a cigarette, she would yell or moan for me to come," Stevens said, describing family caregiving near the end of life. He told students nicotine is not "cool" and warned against targeted marketing: "Do not let some multibillion dollar corporation decide your future."

Stevens said county public‑health slides shown at a prior meeting alarmed him because statewide tobacco use was flat or declining while Sutter County showed a marked increase. He urged students to talk to their peers and hold one another accountable and asked staff to produce materials, including his letter, for distribution in schools. County staff and the chair agreed to explore printing and distributing educational materials to students.

Board members commended Stevens for sharing the personal testimony and asked staff to coordinate future opportunities for supervisors to speak in school settings. The remarks were delivered during district reports and the board’s public engagement period; no formal board action resulted from the address.