The Maui News

Local health agencies have launched a new public service announcement campaign to call attention to strategies used by tobacco companies that target children and youth.

In Hawaii each year, the tobacco industry spends an estimated $24 million on marketing, according to a news release from the state Department of Health, which is partnering with the Hawaii Public Health Institute on the campaign. The department said the tactics are meant to lure keiki into experimenting with vapes and get them addicted to nicotine.

The “Stronger Together: We See/They See” campaign contrasts images of Hawaii’s youth with the way the tobacco industry sees them — “We see ambition; Big Tobacco sees addiction,” says one image. The campaign is slated to run through April and includes TV, radio, digital, social media and print advertisements.

“Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. and in Hawaii,” said Deputy Director of Health Resources Danette Wong Tomiyasu. “Hawaii has made great gains in reducing youth cigarette use, but with the introduction of vaping, we are now facing a crisis of youth addiction.”

Research shows that kids are more likely to be influenced to smoke and vape by marketing than by peer pressure, the news release said. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, nearly one in three Hawaii high school students report having vaped in the last 30 days — a 20 percent increase in just two years.

“Hawaii was the first state to pass legislation raising the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21,” said Jessica Yamauchi, chief executive officer of the Hawaii Public Health Institute. “This was an important first step, but it’s not enough. We need to do more to inform the public about the dangers of vaping and mobilize the community to protect our keiki.”

To learn more about the dangers of vaping, share campaign images on social media and sign up for notifications, visit strongertogether.hawaii.gov.

For youth already addicted to nicotine, the Hawaii Tobacco Quitline offers “My Life, My Quit,” a free program with trained coaches to help youth quit smoking or vaping. Teens can sign up by texting “Start my Quit” to 36072 or calling (855) 891-9989.