Hi, my name is Aaliyah Larson. I am a member of the YAHL Leadership Team and a junior at Stilwell High School.  My favorite YAHL campaign is CounterAct Tobacco. I am passionate about this campaign because I see firsthand how vapes and e-cigarettes are affecting today’s youth. 

Today in my school there are kids being caught with vapes in classrooms, bathrooms, hallways, etc. I have been able to speak with my local Stilwell Police Department, the Adair County office team and a few other organizations in the community to get their support for CounterAct Tobacco.

My favorite opportunity with the CounterAct Tobacco campaign so far was when we went to my old middle school and did a presentation covering the campaign and a brief education about the dangers of vapes. I loved how engaged the kids were when we broke into small groups. We had conversations about the way vapes are advertised and who they thought the ads were targeting. We did an activity where we compared two different types of ads. We showed them  pictures of ads for everyday things youth would be interested in, such as toys, activities, McDonald’s, etc., and then showed them pictures of vape ads. This led to a conversation about the major similarities and how they thought vape ads were targeting youth. The kids said that the colors and the flavors they offer and use in their advertisements are what is pulling the youth in to use their products.

The way that vapes are being advertised is a major concern. This is why having comprehensive tobacco retail licensing is important. This would allow us to know where all of these vapes are being sold and create stricter policies for retailers selling these products. Thank you for taking your time to read my story. I hope in the future you plan to support the CounterAct Tobacco campaign and partner with us to make a difference in our community.

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By: Aaliyah Larson, Stilwell High School