The Hit We'll Take: Anti-vape campaign featuring Silento that can help youth kick addictive habit
There are some hits we should bring back. But when it comes to e-cigs, that's a hit we shouldn’t take, says a new campaign trying to uproot the vaping trend among youth. Called The Hit We'll Take, it provides a guide on how to kick the habit. The campaign is also offering a chance to win a $5,000 scholarship and a visit from 'Watch Me (Whip? Nae Nae) singer Silento. It is a collaboration between Do.Something.org and CVS Health Foundation.
"It seems like every day there’s a new headline about young people getting sick or even dying from vaping and e-cigs. We know that this is a crucial and timely issue", said Carrie Bloxson, Chief Marketing Officer at DoSomething.org. in a statement to MEA World Wide. She added that scare tactics don't help young people make healthy choices but she hopes that advice from friends will do the trick. The artist who is the face of the campaign, Silento, agrees.
"They don’t read the fine print, they just follow what they see their peers doing and that does nothing but further encourage [vaping]", he said explaining that if young people continue to talk about the dangers of smoking and vaping and the conversation continues, it could successfully lead to a smoke-free generation.
Vaping has been the center of controversy after a string of users across the country reported lung injury cases associated with the usage of e-cigarettes or vaping. According to CDC, as of October 3, 2019, 1,080 lung injury cases have been reported from 48 states. Eighteen deaths have been confirmed in 15 states. Approximately, 16 percent of patients are under 18 years and 21 percent in the 18-20 year category. However, they said in a statement that "the specific chemical exposure causing lung injuries associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping, remains unknown at this time."
The CDC also stated that they had not linked one product or substance to all the cases and may be caused by modified vaping products. New York became the first state to ban the use of e-cigarette products last month and the latest is Montana.
Study shows that there are strong, if not absolute associations between vaping and cigarette smoking, especially in youth who are considered low risk when it comes to substance use.
As of 2018, according to the National Tobacco Youth survey, there are 3.6 million middle and high school students who are current e-cigarette users which is almost double the number from the year before that. "This is a huge issue among young adults," said Eileen Howard Boone, President, CVS Health Foundation, in a statement to MEA World Wide. They tried to connect with the young adults through the throwback theme, she said, calling "the tactics being used to promote" e-cigarettes "as a 'throwback' to regular cigarettes."
Provapers have expressed concern saying that those that have smoking would fall right back into the habit and the Foundation urges they sign up for their programs that "help increase access to the most effective strategies to support quitting."
The Hit We’ll Take closes on December 31.