Millions of America’s youth are being harmed by the pervasive use of flavored vape products that have flooded the market in recent years. The 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey stated that nearly 90 percent of youth who use e-cigarettes or vapes are utilizing a flavored version; mostly fruity/sweet flavors, but minty and menthol varieties are also being used. This is a huge issue, as vaping has been linked to many detrimental health effects. Problems such as nicotine addiction, mental health problems, lung damage, and heart disease have all been found in young people after the use of vaping products.
Since flavored tobacco products have a proven track record of enticing young users, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has started a petition to urge the FDA to take action against these products. The petition specifically targets flavored e-cigarettes, flavored cigars, and menthol cigarettes. To add your name to the supporters of this petition, visit https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/get-involved/fda-flavor-petition-2022. You can also sign up to receive emails from Tobacco-Free Kids to learn more about how you can support their work.
If you want to do more to help Georgia’s youth learn the dangers of vaping, sign up to be a Tar Wars presenter! Email the Statewide Tar Wars Manager, Lauren Shamblin, at lshamblin@gafp.org to get started today.