The goal of the West Virginia Youth Tobacco Prevention Program is to prevent our young people from trying or using tobacco products. Also to assist the youth who do use tobacco products in reducing the amount they use or quitting, including those who vape.
E-Cigarette use, or vaping, among youth is an
epidemic in West Virginia. Vaping use rates are rising faster in West
Virginia than rates across the nation.
For additional information click
here: WV Youth and Vaping Summary
Resources:
RAZE Youth Summit
The 2023 Raze Youth Summit took place on October 18th from 8:30 to 2 PM at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. We had over 600 registered for the event.
The sessions for the Summit:
- The Unfiltered Truth: The Physical Toll of Tobacco: This is a session led by RJ Haddy, a special effects makeup artist. RJ appeared on season 2 of the SyFy network show “FaceOff” and was runner-up. He did a live transformation demonstration on our Ambassador volunteers to show the physical toll that tobacco takes on a person.
- 23-24 Commotion Demonstration session: In this session, Crews had hands-on practice for the three upcoming statewide Commotions. All Crews received a Commotion Kit containing all materials needed to perform the three statewide Commotions: the Impossible Relay Race, Pinwheels for Tobacco Prevention, and the Don’t Fall for Vaping Tower Commotion.
- Peer Power: Strategies to Resist and Recruit: Crews used various techniques, including role play, to brainstorm and put into practice strategies to deflect criticism and put downs from peers regarding their education efforts, as well as strategies to recruit new Members to their Crew.
- Mental Fitness for a Tobacco-Free Future: This session, was led by our emcee Patrick Perez, will focus on a growth mindset and how that is essential to remaining tobacco-free.
The Truth Initiative has released several infographics regarding Youth Tobacco Use. To view these resources please click on the links below.
African American Youth and Tobacco Use.
Smokeless Tobacco Use by Youth.
Vaping Addiction and Youth.
Tobacco Use by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Youth.
Youth Tobacco Use and Mental Health.
Raze is West Virginia's youth tobacco prevention program. To learn more about Raze Crews and the latest information please visit the Raze website. To start a new crew and to learn more about Raze Crews and adult advisors, please contact Laura Williams at the American Lung Association.
The Youth Program works closely with the American Lung Association of WV (ALA) to address the community tobacco prevention and cessation needs in the state and to provide Not-on-Tobacco (N-O-T) a teen smoking and vaping cessation program.
The American Lung Association offers a self-guided, mobile friendly web-based program that gives teens the resources to quit vaping, smoking or chewing tobacco products. This program NOT for Me can be accessed here.
Stanford Medical has published an article titled Teens vulnerable to social-media promotion of vaping with valuable information for youth.
The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids has released a new report on Ecigarettes in Kid Friendly Flavors. Please click here to read.
Big Tobacco and Youth: How can Big Tobacco attract lifelong customers? It's simple: hook them young. Big tobacco knows 9 out of 10 of adult smokers started before the age of 21. By targeting youth, they secure a new generation of highly addicted adults. For more information click here. Big Tobacco targets youth with cigarette and vaping ads click here for a report from the Truth Initiative. To view an anti big tobacco resource click here.
TRUTH Campaign
The Truth campaign is a national youth smoking and vaping prevention program. According to the truth website, "We expose the truth about smoking, vaping and nicotine with our national counter-marketing campaign, the longest-running and most successful national tobacco prevention campaign for youth and young adults. truth delivers the facts about the health effects and social consequences of smoking, vaping and nicotine use and the marketing tactics of the tobacco industry so that young people can make informed choices and influence others to do the same. Developed from extensive formative research, the campaign goes toe-to-toe with an industry that spends more than $9 billion each year to market tobacco products in the U.S. We are David to Big Tobacco's Goliath. See the newest truth video here. Truth has introduced a new texting initiative called This is Quitting [TIQ], for more information click here.