Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Event
On Friday, June 18, at 3 PM ET, Students Against Nicotine (SAN) hosted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, followed by a virtual panel of students, parents, doctors, and advocates discussing policy solutions to the youth tobacco/e-cigarette epidemic, including a federal ban on all flavored tobacco products.
Click the link below to watch!
https://www.facebook.com/studentsagainstnicotine/videos/1127302157748026/
Click the link below to watch!
https://www.facebook.com/studentsagainstnicotine/videos/1127302157748026/
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Rep. Mondaire Jones Panel Event
On Wednesday (5/12) at 7 PM EDT, we hosted Rep. Mondaire Jones and a distinguished panel (below) to discuss policy solutions to the youth tobacco epidemic and the flavor trap. Rep. Jones spoke publicly for the first time about his experience as an anti-tobacco Reality Check Youth Advocate Panelists Include:
Meredith Berkman, Parents Against Vaping e-cigs
Dr. Amany Messieha Dgheim, New York State PTA
Meghan DuBois O’Connor, POWR Against Tobacco
Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden, Westchester County Youth Bureau
Raghav Joshi, Students Against Nicotine
Dr. Shetal Shah, New York Medical College, National Pediatric Policy Council
Moderator: Abe Baker-Butler, Students Against Nicotine
Meredith Berkman, Parents Against Vaping e-cigs
Dr. Amany Messieha Dgheim, New York State PTA
Meghan DuBois O’Connor, POWR Against Tobacco
Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden, Westchester County Youth Bureau
Raghav Joshi, Students Against Nicotine
Dr. Shetal Shah, New York Medical College, National Pediatric Policy Council
Moderator: Abe Baker-Butler, Students Against Nicotine
NY Daily News Publishes Our Letters to the Editor Speaking on Menthol
Abe Baker-Butler writes about the loophole that is the menthol paradox, speaking on the necessity of its ban, menthol's racial targeting, and more of menthol's harmful effects. Read more about it here, titled "FDA, stop giving menthol a pass". www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-letter-april-24-20210424-ujuom34n2zcwjf2yioj2kmhhj4-story.html?outputType=amp
NYS Senate Testimony on Raising Tobacco Taxes & Establishing E-Cigarette Tax Parity
Yesterday, our Expansion and Outreach director, Raghav Joshi, testified at the Westchester NYS Senate Budget Forum on behalf of SAN. We urged the Senators to raise NYS tobacco and e-cigarette taxes by $1, which can significantly deter the youth population from purchasing these addictive products.
NY Statewide Webinar
On March 5, Cessations Director Harrison Du was the co-moderator and design assistant for The Search For The Truth, which was an interactive discussion based webinar that serves to inform and provide new insight to the dangers of addiction, racially targeted tobacco customers, and the huge impact of menthol cigarettes. Most importantly, this was a student led presentation and even provided the experience of young athletes who vape and their view on tobacco products. SAN worked in conjunction with the AHA, Friends Academy, Reality Check, and many more to bring this to over 50 active participants.
National Webinar on Taking Down Tobacco with Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and National Association of Secondary School Principals
Executive Director Abe Butler-Baker presented a webinar with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) to over 150 NHS members about taking down tobacco and how to apply youth voice to prevent addiction and protect public health. Here’s a snapshot!
SAN Advocacy with Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. Mondaire Jones of NY-17
Students Against Nicotine had a very productive meeting last week with Michael Perez, Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. Mondaire Jones (NY-17). Topics discussed included the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act, the disproportionate impact of menthol on communities of color, and the links between vaping and COVID-19. Stay tuned for more updates on our advocacy during the 117th Congress!
Roundtable with New York Attorney General Tish James and State Legislators
Thank you to NY Attorney General Tish James for hosting a constructive and timely roundtable today on youth vaping. Students Against Nicotine was honored to sit on a panel with Leilani Robinson and McKenzie Gawel, and to have the chance to speak with Senator Brad Hoylman, Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, Senator Diane J. Savino, NYC Councilmember Mark Levine, and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. Thank you to each of these legislators for making e-cigarette prevention and youth voice a priority in your legislative work!
Also great as always to hear remarks from our partners in advocacy PAVE (Meredith Berkman) and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (Matthew Myers)!
Also great as always to hear remarks from our partners in advocacy PAVE (Meredith Berkman) and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (Matthew Myers)!
South Dakota SADD Webinar
On October 1, Soumya Ajjampudi, Julia Zarkower, and Abe Baker-Butler presented a webinar in South Dakota as part of a statewide SADD training webinar series! The webinar was well-attended and included interactive games, a presentation about the health effects of vaping, a section on youth-led advocacy, and Q&A!
Meeting with American Heart Association of Maryland
Students Against Nicotine had a very productive meeting on July 24 with students from the American Heart Association - Maryland! We discussed shared insights from our work, current advocacy initiatives, links between COVID-19 and vaping, future partnerships, and more.
Kahoot! Trivia with Blind Brook Middle School Students and Parents
On May 21, we hosted a Zoom Kahoot trivia game about the health effects of vaping with students and parents from Blind Brook Middle School. It was meaningful to answer questions and raise awareness about the many ways vaping can cause negative health outcomes, especially in the era of COVID-19. If you're interested in hosting a Kahoot, presentation, or workshop on vaping for your organization, fill out our contact form!
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Zoom Q&A with West Valley Boys and Girls Club
On May 7, we held a Q&A with the West Valley Boys and Girls Club (Los Angeles, California) as part of a project to raise awareness of the dangers of substance abuse following the deaths of two of their members in a recent drunk driving accident. We had an extremely meaningful and interesting conversation, and discussed peer pressure, quitting, youth and minority-targeted advertising, health effects, strategies for engaging with legislators, and more. Our Scientific Advisory Board member, Dr. David Feller-Kopman, joined us and contributed his medical insight. He is an interventional pulmonologist working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. If you or your group are interested in having us present a Q&A or webinar on vaping, please fill out our contact form on the homepage! It is more important than ever to spread awareness about quitting strategies and the harmful effects of vaping.
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Statement From Scientific Advisory Board on COVID-19 and Vaping
In these difficult times, it is more important than ever to stay away from e-cigarettes and vapes. Both long-term smokers and e-cigarette users are at a heightened risk of developing chronic lung conditions, which have been associated with more severe cases of COVID-19. Chronic vaping seems to decrease immune function in the lungs, which inhibits the body’s normal response to invasion by an infectious agent, thereby exacerbating the symptoms of COVID-19 and making it more dangerous to the victim.
Dr. Erika Berman Rosenzweig from our Scientific Advisory Board says: “With regard to COVID-19 and vaping or any smoking history, common sense would say this is a risk factor for worsening COVID-19 course. There is also some early commentary from the medical community on the potential reduction in airway defenses e.g. cilia from vaping/smoking as well, which may lead to an impaired ability to defend against initial COVID-19 infection. In the U.S. there are substantial numbers of COVID-19 patients (20%) in the younger age categories (20-44 yrs) being hospitalized, some of whom have a history of vaping and smoking.”
Dr. David Feller-Kopman, another member of our Scientific Advisory Board, adds: “Strong data regarding COVID-19 are just coming out, but the overall consensus strongly suggests that outcomes will be worse amongst vapers than non-vapers.”
Recently, the Mayor of New York City, Bill De Blasio stated in a press conference: “If you are a smoker or a vaper that does make you more vulnerable.” He urged New Yorkers to seek help in quitting: “If you are a smoker or a vaper this is a very good time to stop that habit and we will help you.”
Dr. Berman Rosenzweig agreed, “I suspect that smoking and vaping history will be among the risk factors for worse COVID-19 course, including need for hospitalization. As a community, we have control over social distancing, hand washing, and yes, vaping. Let’s use common sense."
We know the addictive power of e-cigarettes is huge. But, as COVID-19 demonstrates, the severity of their health consequences is even greater.
It’s challenging, but you, not the e-cigarette, have control over your use. As Mayor De Blasio said, now is the perfect time and we support you.
If you want to quit e-cigarette use, or know someone who does, now is the time. For help quitting, text "DropTheVape" to 88709. And, for additional quitting resources, visit studentsagainstnicotine.org/quitting. We’re here to help.
Thank you, and stay safe,
Students Against Nicotine
Dr. Erika Berman Rosenzweig from our Scientific Advisory Board says: “With regard to COVID-19 and vaping or any smoking history, common sense would say this is a risk factor for worsening COVID-19 course. There is also some early commentary from the medical community on the potential reduction in airway defenses e.g. cilia from vaping/smoking as well, which may lead to an impaired ability to defend against initial COVID-19 infection. In the U.S. there are substantial numbers of COVID-19 patients (20%) in the younger age categories (20-44 yrs) being hospitalized, some of whom have a history of vaping and smoking.”
Dr. David Feller-Kopman, another member of our Scientific Advisory Board, adds: “Strong data regarding COVID-19 are just coming out, but the overall consensus strongly suggests that outcomes will be worse amongst vapers than non-vapers.”
Recently, the Mayor of New York City, Bill De Blasio stated in a press conference: “If you are a smoker or a vaper that does make you more vulnerable.” He urged New Yorkers to seek help in quitting: “If you are a smoker or a vaper this is a very good time to stop that habit and we will help you.”
Dr. Berman Rosenzweig agreed, “I suspect that smoking and vaping history will be among the risk factors for worse COVID-19 course, including need for hospitalization. As a community, we have control over social distancing, hand washing, and yes, vaping. Let’s use common sense."
We know the addictive power of e-cigarettes is huge. But, as COVID-19 demonstrates, the severity of their health consequences is even greater.
It’s challenging, but you, not the e-cigarette, have control over your use. As Mayor De Blasio said, now is the perfect time and we support you.
If you want to quit e-cigarette use, or know someone who does, now is the time. For help quitting, text "DropTheVape" to 88709. And, for additional quitting resources, visit studentsagainstnicotine.org/quitting. We’re here to help.
Thank you, and stay safe,
Students Against Nicotine
New York State Includes #NoVapeNY E-Cig Prevention Package in FY 2021 Budget!
April 2, 2020- Today, Governor Cuomo and New York State legislators have agreed to include the #NoVapeNY e-cigarette prevention package in the 2021 budget. The package, which includes a full e-cigarette flavor ban (including menthol), marketing restrictions, a ban on pharmacy sales, stricter penalties for underage sale, and a prohibition on price discounts, is a comprehensive set of policies that will meaningfully reduce e-cigarette and tobacco use in NYS.
We are concerned about a last-minute loophole pushed by vaping lobbyists, which would allow FDA-approved flavored e-cigarettes (there are currently none) to enter the New York market. This is problematic given the Trump administration’s unwillingness to hold e-cigarette companies accountable and the potential for lax FDA approval. We nevertheless applaud this comprehensive package, which makes New York the 4th and largest state to ban flavors, as a meaningful step toward ending the e-cigarette epidemic and protecting the public health of New Yorkers of all ages, especially our peers.
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, these steps were already urgently needed: according to the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey (2019 NYTS), teen e-cigarette use has increased from 11% to 27.5% since 2017. In New York, more than 1 in 5 of our peers use e-cigarettes, 97% of them flavored. More than 70% of our peers cite flavors as their main reason for use. But now, with a likely link between vaping and susceptibility to severe negative coronavirus outcomes, the urgency is increasing dramatically.
Today is a milestone in the fight against flavored tobacco products, and we are thankful to all the legislators who listened to our youth voice, including Gov. Cuomo, Sen. Brad Hoylman, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal and Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte. All of their efforts were essential in pushing this legislation forward.
Through meetings, hearings, rallies, press releases, PSA’s and more, we have been advocating for these policy steps from the very beginning. Now, after years of advocacy, it is immensely gratifying to see this essential legislative action to protect our generation’s public health. Yet, while we celebrate today’s progress, there remains more to do: we need increased funding for prevention education, a ban on menthol-flavored combustible tobacco products, and the implementation of a national flavor ban.
We will continue to advocate and educate until no child or teen is vulnerable to a lifetime of addiction from e-cigarette and tobacco products.
We are concerned about a last-minute loophole pushed by vaping lobbyists, which would allow FDA-approved flavored e-cigarettes (there are currently none) to enter the New York market. This is problematic given the Trump administration’s unwillingness to hold e-cigarette companies accountable and the potential for lax FDA approval. We nevertheless applaud this comprehensive package, which makes New York the 4th and largest state to ban flavors, as a meaningful step toward ending the e-cigarette epidemic and protecting the public health of New Yorkers of all ages, especially our peers.
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, these steps were already urgently needed: according to the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey (2019 NYTS), teen e-cigarette use has increased from 11% to 27.5% since 2017. In New York, more than 1 in 5 of our peers use e-cigarettes, 97% of them flavored. More than 70% of our peers cite flavors as their main reason for use. But now, with a likely link between vaping and susceptibility to severe negative coronavirus outcomes, the urgency is increasing dramatically.
Today is a milestone in the fight against flavored tobacco products, and we are thankful to all the legislators who listened to our youth voice, including Gov. Cuomo, Sen. Brad Hoylman, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal and Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte. All of their efforts were essential in pushing this legislation forward.
Through meetings, hearings, rallies, press releases, PSA’s and more, we have been advocating for these policy steps from the very beginning. Now, after years of advocacy, it is immensely gratifying to see this essential legislative action to protect our generation’s public health. Yet, while we celebrate today’s progress, there remains more to do: we need increased funding for prevention education, a ban on menthol-flavored combustible tobacco products, and the implementation of a national flavor ban.
We will continue to advocate and educate until no child or teen is vulnerable to a lifetime of addiction from e-cigarette and tobacco products.
An Amazing Advocacy Day in Albany
On March 3, we had a meaningful time advocating for the #NoVapeNY vaping prevention package in Albany. First, our Executive Director Abe Baker-Butler spoke on a panel with Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and Health Commissioner Howard Zucker (video here), then we advocated with Assemblypeople and Senators, telling how e-cigarettes have affected our communities and why we need action. We ended the day with a press conference and a reception atop Corning Tower! Pictures are below if you’re interested in getting involved with our legislative advocacy, contact us.
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Announcing the #NoVapeNY Campaign to Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes in New York State
On Thursday, Dir. of School and Partner Engagement Julia Zarkower participated in Governor Cuomo's Press Conference announcing a NYS campaign to ban flavored vaping products, restrict youth-focused advertising, and strengthen enforcement mechanisms in New York State. We are proud to be a part of this campaign and look forward to advocating with legislators for this proposal. Check out the video and our statement in the press release!
Press Release: https://www.governor.ny.gov/…/governor-cuomo-launches-campa…
Video: https://youtu.be/X9ryiGdbUWc
Press Release: https://www.governor.ny.gov/…/governor-cuomo-launches-campa…
Video: https://youtu.be/X9ryiGdbUWc
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Filming a PSA About the Effects of the E-Cig Epidemic
We filmed a PSA with the NYS Govenor's office about the effects of the e-cig epidemic on our friends, peers, and the entire teen community. Check out these photos from the filming and share the video!
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Presenting Parent and Student Educational Workshops in Long Island
Raghav Joshi and Abe Baker-Butler led an Escape the Vape workshop and parent presentation at Temple Beth Sholom of Roslyn, and we discussed misleading marketing, the flavor trap, health effects, and much more. Check out the photos and videos below. If you’re interested in a presentation or workshop at your organization, email us at [email protected], or fill out the contact form on our Prevention Ed page.
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Advocating with Legislators for a Flavor Ban in New York State
The legislative advocacy continues: We testified today before Senators Stewart-Cousins, Biaggi, Mayer, and Bailey at the Westchester NYS Senate Delegation Budget Forum in favor of a flavor ban and the inclusion of the e-cigarette prevention package in the NYS budget!
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Meeting with Governor Cuomo About the 2020 NYS Budget Prevention Package
Students Against Nicotine met in Albany with Governor Cuomo, Health Commissioner Zucker, and a group of advocates from across New York State to discuss the Governor’s e-cigarette prevention package, which includes a full flavor ban (including menthol e-cigs), strong restrictions on teen-directed marketing, strengthened enforcement penalties, and more. We contributed input from the student perspective and spoke about the effects of the e-cigarette epidemic, as well as the importance of a holistic response. We are advocating with legislators to pass this essential package in the budget! #onwards
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Assisting Lancaster County, NY with Alternatives to Suspension for Vaping
Students Against Nicotine is proud to work with the Lancaster County Youth Bureau as part of its mission to develop alternatives to suspension and paths to quitting for teens vaping in school. Through advising from the youth perspective, providing input on effective educational techniques/materials, and providing schools with quitting resources, we are excited to be able to help in this worthwhile endeavor!
Providing Input and Advocating For the NYS State of the State Prevention and Enforcement Package
Albany, January 21, 2020- Students Against Nicotine applauds Governor Cuomo’s meaningful and broad array of policy proposals to end the teen e-cigarette epidemic, announced today as part of his budget presentation. We have watched our friends become addicted to vaping devices with horrific health effects and a variety of dangerous chemical components. We have seen e-cigarette companies appealing directly to our peers with whimsical flavors and other deceptive marketing methods for years. Ranging from a flavor ban to marketing restrictions to stronger enforcement mechanisms, this proposal will go a long way toward preventing teen e-cigarette use, combatting addiction, and protecting the public health of our generation for years to come. We are proud to have worked with the Governor on the development of these proposals, and look forward to continuing to advocate for them in the NYS Legislature.
Announcing First Cohort of Scientific Advisory Board Members
After months of recruitment, Students Against Nicotine is pleased to announce our first cohort of Scientific Advisory Board members: Drs. David-Feller Kopman, Erika Berman Rosenzweig, Joseph N. Cappella, and Hanno C. Erythropel. Dr. Feller-Kopman is the director of broncoscopy and interventional pulmonology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and past president of the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology. Dr. Rosenzweig is the immediate past Chair of the Scientific Leadership Council of the Pediatric Hypertension Association and past Editor-in Chief of the medical journal Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension. Dr. Cappella is a past president of the International Communication Association. Dr. Erythropel has appeared in Forbes and Business Insider, and recently was lead author on the first study to find that acetals, a potentially dangerous chemical byproduct, are produced and inhaled during e-cigarette use. Each has many more accomplishments in their field, which you can read more about on our "E-Cigarette Research" page.
Invited to Testify at NYS Senate Hearing on E-Cigarette Epidemic
On November 4, our Director or Legislative Advocacy Abe Baker-Butler testified today at a NYS Senate Joint Committee Hearing on teen e-cigarette use. The NYS Government needs to act to curtail the e-cig epidemic by enacting a variety of policy steps including banning flavors, expanding prevention education, funding research, raising taxes on e-cigarettes, restricting marketing, ensuring specific warnings/full disclosure of the chemicals and dangerous byproducts formed in e-cigs, and more. We were quoted in the New York Daily News, amNY, and on Pix11!
Speaking Out at the Westchester Flavor Ban Public Hearing
On Monday, October 21, we spoke out in favor of an e-cigarette flavor ban in Westchester County. A group of members of the NYS Vapor Association was in attendance to oppose the legislation. Along with our partners from the American Heart Association and American Lung Association, Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes (PAVe) and many other organizations, we emphasized that flavors hook teens and deceptively attract new users to e-cigarette products.
---Check us out on News12: http://www.news12.com/story/41211434/westchester-looks-to-ban-flavored-ecigarettes-vaping-products-in-county
A Better High Day Success!
Our Youth Decide Better High Day on October 14 at Purchase College was an immense success! With over 150 teens in attendance and an abundance of activities, a great time was had by all. The event included speakers, music sports, refreshments, art projects, free swag, a book club sign-up, and more! Thanks to the Better High Student Committee for all their work on this effort, as well as to all the event sponsors.
Check us out on the news! http://fios1news.com/news/lower-hudson-valley/encouraging-drug-free-fun-suny-purchase/?fbclid=IwAR3SdIoB_3CDUGE1DJdAAnqNfHVcmfT4nsOcU1EQajMItMMpYxi8KLjYMVs
Check us out on the news! http://fios1news.com/news/lower-hudson-valley/encouraging-drug-free-fun-suny-purchase/?fbclid=IwAR3SdIoB_3CDUGE1DJdAAnqNfHVcmfT4nsOcU1EQajMItMMpYxi8KLjYMVs
Educating in Albany
On October 7, Abe Baker-Butler presented our workshop, "Stigs, Wax, and Diacetyl: What Every Youth Advocate Needs to Know About Vaping" to a group of prevention educators from across New York State at the annual conference of the Association of NYS Youth Bureaus and the Coalition for Homeless Youth. The workshop was quite well received and there was even a moose who attended!
Passing A Flavor Ban in Yonkers, NY!
Students Against Nicotine proudly supports the city of Yonkers, NY, pop. 202,000. for its passage of an e-cigarette flavor ban. Check out our quote in the press release here: https://www.yonkersny.gov/Home/Components/News/News/6781/3218
Above, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano signs the Yonkers, NY flavor ban into law.
Students Against Nicotine Featured in National Congressional Press Release
See our quote in the press release sent to media outlets on September 9! We are proud to stand with Congressman Eliot Engel (NY-16) and the bipartisan cosponsors of the Smoke-Free Schools Act, H.R. 4019 on the national stage. This bill is an important step towards keeping e-cigarettes out of the hands of youth, and we are advocating for its passage with Senators and Members of Congress.
Better High Day- Save the Date- October 14!
After months of behind the scenes planning, Student Against Nicotine is proud to announce our Better High Initiative. Starting with a kickoff event at the State University of New York (SUNY) Purchase on October 14. Sponsored by the Truth Initiative (https://truthinitiative.org/), our Better High Coalition consists of students and organizations from across the nation devoted to promoting “Natural Highs”- intense, elated experiences that offer healthy, life affirming alternative choices to a drug induced high. The October 14 event will serve as the kickoff for a series of events encouraging teens to embrace healthy recreational alternatives to drug, alcohol, and tobacco/nicotine use.
Specifically, Better High events will include:
Whether organizing booths, speaking at an event, or finding new partners or activities, there are many ways to be involved in the Better High Coalition. For more information, please email [email protected] or [email protected]
Specifically, Better High events will include:
- Education about different issues that will improve teens’ knowledge base and their decision-making in the future through our peer-to-peer education curriculum
- Legislative Advocacy by empowering kids and teens to “Take a STAND” against Big Tobacco through further involvement with our nonprofit. At the event, we will teach about government’s role in public health and how students can be part of shaping that process.
- Community Organizations and Student-Led Clubs: local student-led clubs from high schools in the area will have the opportunity to expose kids and teens attending the event to Natural High-inducing activities connected to their specific interests.
Whether organizing booths, speaking at an event, or finding new partners or activities, there are many ways to be involved in the Better High Coalition. For more information, please email [email protected] or [email protected]
Collaborating with Researchers- Science Provides Additional Insight For E-Cig Policy Steps
Scientific research is key for e-cigarette perceptions and policies to change. Starting this August, Students Against Nicotine has been working with Dr. Hanno Erythropel, a researcher at Yale’s Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, to frame our advocacy through a scientific lens and spread awareness of the unlisted chemicals formed by reactions between e-cigarette flavorants. Check out his lab's recent journal article about the topic below:
https://news.yale.edu/2019/07/30/juul-users-inhaling-chemicals-not-listed
https://news.yale.edu/2019/07/30/juul-users-inhaling-chemicals-not-listed
Working Towards A Flavor Ban
This June, as part of our larger legislative advocacy push to ban flavors in e-cigarettes at the federal, state and local levels, this , we created the Westchester Flavor Ban Working Group with a group of local advocacy organizations in Westchester, NY. From distributing literature and petitions, to keeping lawmakers updated on the constantly growing list of negative health effects of vaping, we are pushing legislation forward. Stay tuned for information about upcoming public forums, movie screenings, legislative meetings and more!
Black Lives, Black Lungs
On June 27, Students Against Nicotine was proud to help organize a screening of “Black Lives, Black Lungs” with Reality Check NY/POW’R Against Tobacco in Yonkers, NY. The film highlighted the tobacco industry’s successful infiltration into the black community, its targeting of the community with menthol products, and the effects of these practices today. We must recognize and fully address the racial disparities underlying tobacco use.
Professional Development Workshop
On May 22, our Director of Legislative Advocacy and Expansion, Abe Baker-Butler, presented a workshop to youth professionals about the dangers of e-cigarettes and how youth can get involved in advocacy efforts. If you are interested in learning more about our legislative advocacy team, message us!
National Webinar- Vaping and Hispanic Youth
In coordination with the National Latino Behavioral Health Association, we presented a webinar on May 9 to over 600 prevention professionals nationwide. The presentation was an overview of youth vaping from what the devices look like, to why vaping is a concern with a specific focus on Latino youth. The webinar began with a show and tell of commonly used vape products, including the Juul. Participants learned about the risks of youth vaping; risks like popcorn lung, exploding batteries, and nicotine addiction. Using data from the Monitoring the Future survey, the webinar discussed prevalence and trends among Latino Youth.
The webinar concluded with a discussion of prevention opportunities for parents, professionals, and policy makers.
The webinar concluded with a discussion of prevention opportunities for parents, professionals, and policy makers.
Speaking Out For An E-Cigarette Flavor Ban
Students Against Nicotine leaders spoke at a May 6 meeting of the Westchester County Board of Legislators about the need to pass a countywide flavor ban
4/20 Rally
On April 20, youth and adults gathered at Westchester Medical Center to #Reclaim420 and talk about reasons for being drug-free. Check out a video about this and our April Fuul’s Day Rally here: https://www.facebook.com/PowerToTheParent/videos/300987280822457/UzpfSTEwMDAxMzU5NTgzMTQ5MTo2MTc2MjU5ODIwMzM5MjQ/?q=power%20to%20the%20parent%20abe%20baker-butler&epa=SEARCH_BOX
April Fuul’s Day Rally
On April 1, we organized a press rally and gathered in front of "Fuul's Candy Shop," a faux pop-up storefront today, declaring it April Fuul's Day, and demanded that companies that make vape products, like the JUUL, stop "fooling" youth into nicotine addiction with attractive, candy flavored vape products.
The rally took place on the steps of the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY as we held large candy-shaped balloons to demonstrate our point
Read more here: https://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/westchester-youth-demand-april-fuuls-day-ban-flavored-e-cigs
The rally took place on the steps of the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY as we held large candy-shaped balloons to demonstrate our point
Read more here: https://patch.com/new-york/peekskill/westchester-youth-demand-april-fuuls-day-ban-flavored-e-cigs
Public Health Awards
On April 4, Jack Waxman and Abe Baker-Butler were honored by the Westchester County Department of Health for the work of Students Against Nicotine. County Executive Latimer and County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler presented the awards to celebrate National Public Health Week, which was observed from April 1 to April 7.
Read more here: https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/newrochelle/news/here-are-westchester-countys-2019-public-health-award-winners/765702/
Read more here: https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/newrochelle/news/here-are-westchester-countys-2019-public-health-award-winners/765702/
Advocacy Day at the NYS Assembly
On February 26, we led an advocacy day in Albany for a flavor ban. We were introduced on the NYS Assembly floor by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin
Watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/assemblywomanpaulin/videos/422785605159647/
Watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/assemblywomanpaulin/videos/422785605159647/
Speaking Truth to Power at the NYS Senate Budget Forum
On February 8, our very own Abe Baker-Butler spoke at the NYS Senate Westchester Delegation Budget Forum about the importance of regulating flavors in e-cigarettes. Check out the full video at https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=0hIF1HDZ2aY (Abe speaks at 1:04:10)
Escape the Vape Event at Blind Brook High School
Our February 14 “Escape the Vape” program at Blind Brook High School attracted over 70 parents and students for fun games and important conversations about the dangers of e-cigarettes!
ANYSYB Conference Presentation
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At the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus Conference, Abe Baker-Butler presented a workshop to prevention educators from across New York State about the dangers of vaping, current trends, and how we made Tobacco 21 a reality in Westchester. They even played “Escape the Vape.” Ours was one of the most positively evaluated workshops at the conference!
