Despite concerted efforts to address underage tobacco and nicotine use and advocacy to increase funding for prevention and cessation programs, vaping continues to be a major concern throughout Kentucky schools and communities.  

Research has long-proven the negative health impacts that tobacco and nicotine use has while using and for years to come – costing both individuals and health care systems millions of dollars over the lifetime of a smoker. Youth who vape also experience negative impacts on mental health and worsening conditions like anxiety and depression, and are more likely to have lower grades in school. And exposure to these products has increased with a growing presence of vape products across social media platforms often frequented by kids.  

In addition to the immediate impacts youth experience when using tobacco and nicotine products, they are at higher risk for substance use, including opioids, which have risk factors including: 

  • Serious depression or anxiety  
  • Poor school performance  
  • Heavy tobacco use  

In a recent focus group, high school students from across the state talked about the transition from using tobacco or nicotine products, usually vapes, to illicit substances that they have seen among their peers.   

Prevention efforts should include ensuring youth and their families are informed about the harmful impacts – both short and long term – of tobacco and nicotine use, holding retailers accountable for protecting young people from harmful products, and ensuring adequate state funding to support prevention and cessation programming.  

For youth who do begin utilizing nicotine products, emphasizing support for young people struggling with nicotine dependence and avoiding punishment creates an environment that can help youth quit. Young people, parents, and teachers can find resources for nicotine cessation from the Kentucky Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.  

As we look for ways to reduce substance use in the commonwealth, emphasizing tobacco and nicotine prevention is an important step. Advocates support efforts to prevent youth from accessing these harmful products through meaningful Tobacco-21 enforcement and appropriate interventions centered around support for those who find themselves dependent on nicotine.  

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash