The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is launching campaigns to help teens in the state live vape free. Teen vaping is on the rise across the country. In the state, the number of teens using vaping products has been growing over the past few years. Â The results of the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed close to half of all the teens in Wisconsin had already tried vaping. These statistics are too high to be ignored. Many stakeholders are now concerned that if nothing is done then this is likely to become a major problem soon.
The Wisconsin government recognizes that a majority of tobacco use cases begin during youth. Â Research shows that if someone reaches the age of 26 years before they begin using tobacco products then chances are the individual will never use those products. Â This is why the government of Wisconsin has put in place a robust youth program to help keep tobacco products including vapes out of reach for teens and young adults.
The government of Wisconsin through the Department of Health Services now wants to put an end to teen vaping in the state. Among the many steps, the state government is considering is providing resources to teens to help them make the right choices when it comes to tobacco products. The government announced that it will be rolling out media campaigns targeting teens. The main goal of these campaigns is to educate the youth on the benefits of living vape free. The campaign will also involve providing free resources to teens and their caregivers to help them avoid vaping.
As part of the effort to help teens and young adults quit vaping the government wants those addicted to vaping products to text the word “VAPEFREE” to the toll-free number 873373. Here the individuals will receive free help via the Live Vape Free Program. Â This program is designed to give teens and young adults access to interactive resources aimed at helping them remain motivated and determined to quit vaping. Â Through this program, the teens can access live coaching from tobacco products experts, games and other information designed to help teens learn more about vaping and quit the habit.
Other than the youth, the Live Vape Free Program is also designed for adults who want to help young people quit vaping. The adults receive a free online course to equip them with the right skills to help the youth. This free course can be accessed here: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/vapefree.
According to an official statement by the Fond du Lac County Health Department, many modern nicotine delivery products are designed to look quite different from traditional cigarettes. Many vaping products and smokeless tobacco products look more like pens, computer memory sticks and even candies. Â They are also packaged in attractive packages with no warning about their content. This is dangerous and deceptive and is likely to hurt kids and teens. Â The government should therefore do more to protect kids from these products.
