5th grader pleads officials for higher legal smoking age in Hopkinton

HOPKINTON, Mass. — A heartfelt letter that a fifth-grade boy helped convince Hopkinton town leaders to change the laws on nicotine sales in town.

After learning about the dangers of smoking, 11-year-old Logan Sullivan decided to take action.

"Smoking can give you lung cancer and get you really sick," said Logan.

The Hopkins Elementary School student wrote a letter to the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen and then took his plea to the town's Health Commission on Monday.

"I learned that kids who start smoking at a young age do stick with it," Logan told the Commission.

Jennifer Flanagan is the chairwoman of the committtee.

“All off our neighboring towns have gone to 21, so what has happened is that Hopkinton is the place to go," she said.

As of July 1, the legal age to buy nicotine products in town will increase from 18 to 21 and will include vaping products.

The Commission hopes the change will keep nicotine products out of the town's high schools.

"You actually have this whole secondary market going on where you have seniors buying up the stock and selling it to other kids in the high school," said Jennifer Flanagan, a chair of the Hopkinton Health Commission.

His father Mark Sullivan said he’s proud of his son’s initiative saying, “This is one time I feel like he made a dramatic change in town.”

His mother believes it could be a lesson for all kids.

"If you believe in something, speak out and try to make a difference because look what happened with just a letter and a meeting," said Kim Sullivan.

Logan said his next mission is to help change the law statewide.

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