Youth Voice: Preventing the Next Generation from Becoming Addicted to Nicotine

By Hannah Abdon Picture this: It’s another beautiful high school day when, after lunch, you need to wash your hands and get ready for the last of your classes. Going into the bathrooms at a time like this is almost asking for trouble. You enter and, sure enough, you are greeted with about half a dozen freshmen standing around the sinks using juuls and other E-cigarettes. Unfortunately, they don’t respond too well to outsiders and [...]

By |2022-06-30T16:13:26-04:00February 28th, 2022|Blog, Health|

OP-ED: Vaping still threatens our children. The FDA must help.

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in The Enquirer on Novemeber 1, 2021. By Dr. Terry Brooks Building strong families and communities is the key to unlocking the potential of our next generation. Unfortunately, Kentucky leads the nation in too many cancer statistics—including the rate of new lung cancer diagnoses. These chronic health issues prevent our youth from getting the right start. Everyone, from policymakers to advocates to educators to parents, needs to be [...]

By |2021-11-02T14:50:12-04:00November 2nd, 2021|Blog, Health|

Youth and Nicotine Prevention

This week on our Advocate Virtual Forum, we discuss the state of tobacco use among youth throughout Kentucky, as well as data, policy, and state budget opportunities to prevent and mitigate nicotine and tobacco use --including the new Nix the Next campaign. Thank you to our panelists: Hannah Abdon, high school senior from Boone County; Allison Adams of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky; Betsy Clemons of the Hazard/Perry County Chamber of Commerce; and, [...]

By |2022-06-30T16:13:47-04:00October 28th, 2021|Podcast|

Efforts to “Nix the Next” Generation from Becoming Addicted to Nicotine

Building strong families and communities is the key to unlocking the potential of our next generation. Unfortunately, Kentucky has the second highest percentage of adult smokers and is among the highest in the nation for youth who use tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vapes. We know that investing in prevention and cessation is an important step to reduce these rates, improve Kentucky’s health outcomes, and save Kentucky health care costs by averting tobacco related illnesses, [...]

By |2021-10-28T09:19:46-04:00October 20th, 2021|Blog, Health|

Youth Voice: Pass Local Tobacco Control Bills to Prevent Youth from Vaping

By Hannah Abdon I’m an 11th grader that has grown up in a farming community in Northern Kentucky where tobacco has been strongly promoted especially towards young people. While driving to my own high school, I pass four different stores that advertise tobacco products in their storefronts. Most of these advertisements are very close to my school. On television, many advertisements that I see depict Juuls in a positive light. They do this by comparing [...]

By |2021-11-18T13:49:55-05:00February 10th, 2021|Blog, Health|

Kentucky Students Say Pandemic Led to Increased Vaping and Other Tobacco Use Among Peers

CONTACT: Mara Powell mpowell@kyyouth.org Bonnie J. Hackbarth bhackbarth@healthy-ky.org Kentucky Students Say Pandemic Led to Increased Vaping and Other Tobacco Use Among Peers LOUISVILLE, KY – More than a third of Kentucky middle and high schoolers responding to a recent survey say the pandemic has increased students using e-cigarettes, or "vapes," and other tobacco products. And more than 14 percent said they believe e-cigarettes are safer for them to smoke than traditional cigarettes, according to the survey, which [...]

By |2021-10-11T14:57:32-04:00January 27th, 2021|Blog, Health, News Room|

Expanding Local Control to Curb Youth Tobacco Use and Improve Health

As Kentucky’s 2021 General Assembly kicks off this week, many policy items from the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children will be filed as bills for consideration. Among these priorities is expanding local control to allow city and county governments the option to regulate the use, display, sale, and distribution of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. This policy will allow city and county governments to respond to their local needs and tailor their ordinances to these needs. City and county governments could take [...]

By |2021-10-11T14:58:32-04:00January 7th, 2021|Blog, Health|

Youth Voice: No Time to Waste in Protecting Youth From Harms of Tobacco

By Abigail Birman I am a high school junior at McCracken County High School in Paducah. I am the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America President at our school which is also known as FCCLA. We began our advocacy in the fight against big tobacco last year. I am so proud to be part of an organization that gives me the opportunity to advocate for issues impacting the youth of our state and country. [...]

By |2021-10-11T14:59:27-04:00January 6th, 2021|Blog, Health|
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