The Hawai‘i Department of Health and the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute launched a new public service announcement campaign to call attention to strategies used by tobacco companies that target children and youth.
The tobacco industry spends an estimated $24 million on marketing in Hawaiʻi, much of which targets youth. Research shows that kids are more likely to be influenced to smoke and vape by marketing than by peer pressure. The tobacco industry’s efforts directly targeting children have been successful, leading to increase in the use of e-cigarettes by Hawai‘i’s youth. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, nearly one in three Hawai‘i high school students report having vaped in the last 30 days – a 20% increase in just two years.
The “Stronger Together: We See/They See” campaign reminds Hawai‘i residents of the need to protect keiki from tobacco industry tactics. The campaign is slated to run through April and includes TV, radio, digital, social media, and print advertisements.
The public is encouraged to visit the campaign website, StrongerTogether.hawaii.gov, to get more information about the dangers of vaping, share campaign images on social media, and sign-up to stay informed.
For youth already addicted to nicotine, the Hawai‘i Tobacco Quitline offers My Life, My Quit, a free program with trained coaches to help youth quit smoking or vaping. Teens can sign up by texting “Start my Quit” to 36072 or calling 855-891-9989.
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