Oct. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin
A city council candidate running for office in western Queens is hosting a menstrual product drive in Sunnyside Sunday on National Period Day.
Julie Won, the Democratic nominee for Council District 26, is hosting a drive for tampons, pads and other menstrual products from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Bliss Plaza, located below the 46th Street-Bliss St. subway station.
The items will be donated to local shelters in the area. However, Won is also encouraging visitors to take what they need from the drive.
She said she also hopes the drive will raise awareness about how expensive menstrual products are.
“The cost of menstrual products is a real financial burden for far too many in our community,” Won said. “While we have made some progress in recent years, this donation drive is about going the extra mile and making sure everyone has access to these essential items.”
On top of their hefty price tag, tampons are taxed as “luxury” items in the majority of states in the U.S. These taxes are estimated to cost women and menstruators upwards of $150 million per year.
New York eliminated its “tampon tax” in 2016. In 2018, the city also started offering free menstrual products in public schools.
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