HONOLULU – The tobacco trade spends an estimated $22 million on advertising and marketing in Hawaiʻi every year costing the state $611 million in annual well being care prices, $1.1 billion in misplaced productiveness, and almost $1,000 per family in state and federal tax burden.^[1] In an effort to fight the epidemic of youth vaping, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) and the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute (HIPHI) not too long ago relaunched the Stronger Together marketing campaign. Since 2022, this marketing campaign has known as consideration to methods utilized by tobacco corporations that concentrate on Hawaiʻi’s younger individuals. Its present extension is in response to a latest motion among the many counties to regain their means to control the sale of tobacco merchandise of their communities.  

“It is a glorious day today, but the fight isn’t over,” mentioned Hawaiʻi County Councilmember, Susan Lee Loy, on January 10, 2024, as Bill 102 handed to ban flavored e-cigarette merchandise on the Big Island. “We still need the state Capitol to act and return county authority. Today shows the Legislature that counties are listening to local needs and are ready to protect our communities.” 

Vaping disproportionately impacts counties throughout the state. Data highlights that the brunt of the youth vaping epidemic has been laid on the shoulders of the counties. Approximately 16% of highschool college students on Kauaʻi, 18% on Maui, 22% in Hawaiʻi County, and 13% in Honolulu County report present vaping.^[2] Among center schoolers, almost one in 10 college students at present use e-cigarettes in Hawaiʻi, Maui, and Kauaʻi Counties, and about one in 20 college students in Honolulu County.^[3] 

Historically, Hawaiʻi’s counties have been trailblazers in passing insurance policies to control tobacco merchandise. In 2014, Hawaiʻi County was one of many first jurisdictions within the nation to lift the age on the sale of tobacco merchandise to 21. All 4 counties handed insurance policies to ban smoking at parks and seashores, previous to the prohibition turning into a state legislation. In response, it has been a technique of Big Tobacco to focus on its particular curiosity on the state stage. The means of counties to control the sale of tobacco merchandise was eliminated by laws in 2018. However, within the 2024 legislative session, a number of payments, together with HB1778, have been proposed that search to return county authority and permit applicable motion to guard keiki based mostly on native wants. 

Big Tobacco has capitalized on the social impactof e-cigarettes amongst teenagers and youthful ages, by way of focused advertising and marketing and fixed messages. In one examine, teenagers listed the most typical purpose they began vaping was as a result of pals and socializing.^[4]Advertising and advertising and marketing by way of social media usually play on that perceived social profit, like elevated friendships, in addition to the inventive designs and number of flavors.^[5] The rising proof reveals that the youth are certainly the supposed goal marketplace for e-cigarette advertisements, regardless of tobacco corporations denying the info. 

“My cousins are in middle and elementary school,” says Zoe, a pupil at Kamehameha Schools. “These girls are surrounded by the menacing drug in the place where they are trying to learn the difference between good and bad. It is so common we don’t know what to think anymore. We are drowning in a sea full of nicotine-addicted peers, but we want them back.” 

The continued downside of youth vaping and the rising knowledge on the dangerous results of nicotine on the growing mind has fueled concern and prompted continued efforts by DOH and HIPHI to relaunch the Stronger Together marketing campaign and provide companies to those that want to give up their habit to tobacco. The Stronger Together marketing campaign identifies populations focused by the tobacco trade and advocates for neighborhood collective motion by way of the motto “Together, we’re stronger than Big Tobacco”.

The public is inspired to go to the marketing campaign web site, StrongerTogether.hawaii.gov, for extra details about the tobacco trade’s focused advertising and marketing ways and to attach with their native Tobacco-Free coalition to remain knowledgeable and get entangled. 

For these already hooked on tobacco merchandise, the Hawaiʻi Tobacco Quitline gives free teaching and assets to assist the give up journey. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or enroll on-line at hawaiiquitline.org. My Life, My Quit is a free program with educated coaches to assist youth give up smoking or vaping. Teens can join by texting “Start my Quit” to 36072 or calling 855-891-9989. 

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[1] The toll of tobacco in Hawaiʻi. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2023, November 21). https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/problem/toll-us/hawaii

2 Health, D. of. (2023, April 14). Query outcomes for Hawaiʻi Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) knowledge – digital vapor product – present use, excessive colleges, county-level. Hawaiʻi IBIS – Query Result – Hawaiʻi Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Data – Electronic vapor product – present use, High Schools, County-level.  https://hhdw.org/report/query/result/yrbs/VaporCurr/VaporCurr_HS_CNTY.html

3 Health, D. of. (2023, April 14). Query outcomes for Hawaiʻi Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) knowledge – digital vapor product – present use, center colleges, county-level. Hawaiʻi IBIS – Query Result – Hawaiʻi Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Data – Electronic vapor product – present use, Middle Schools, County-level. https://hhdw.org/report/query/result/yrbs/VaporCurr/VaporCurr_MS_CNTY.html

4 Groom, A. L., Vu, T. T., Landry, R. L., Kesh, A., Hart, J. L., Walker, Okay. L., Wood, L. A., Robertson, R. M., & Payne, T. J. (2021). The Influence of Friends on Teen Vaping: A Mixed-Methods Approach. International journal of environmental analysis and public well being, 18(13), 6784. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18136784 

5 Struik, L. L., Dow-Fleisner, S., Belliveau, M., Thompson, D., & Janke, R. (2020). Tactics for Drawing Youth to Vaping: Content Analysis of Electronic Cigarette Advertisements. Journal of medical Internet analysis, 22(8), e18943. https://doi.org/10.2196/18943