By GABE ANDERSON
Guest Columnist
May is a month to celebrate mothers all over the world. One of the best gifts you can give your mom is a healthier you. That is why I’d like to advocate for the health of the youth regarding tobacco use.
There has been a growth in the number of teens using e-cigarettes. It’s no surprise that using e-cigarettes has become accustomed to many teens. As a result, many teens do not realize that they are slowly accepting tobacco products. Tobacco companies tried to convince my peers and me that e-cigs are safe. The truth is that e-cigarettes are another way to keep teens chained to their merchandise.
Now, more than ever, the focus should be on helping young people break the addiction to nicotine. Did you know 1 in 4 youth who use e-cigarettes will eventually be a lifelong smoker of regular cigarettes? Now is the time to give up Juuling. Throw away that Puff or Cali Bar. Don’t buy that juice anymore! The candy flavors, Blue Slushie, Unicorn Frappe, and Gummy Bear, are addictive and make the physical destruction of your lungs and alteration of your mind taste good.
We have the power to take action against the tobacco companies that attempt to take advantage of our generation by getting our developing brains addicted to tobacco products. They want to replace the customers that are dying from using their products. We should work towards changing our peers’ perception of tobacco, so they can recognize that tobacco products are addictive.
I joined the VOICE Indiana Core Team of Hamilton County because I saw what e-cigarettes/Juul has done to my closest of friends and I don’t want anyone else to experience what I have gone through. I care about the teens in my community. I want to make a difference, and I want to help my generation live a tobacco-free life.
As I have said before, you should give your mom the present she wants, a healthier you!
Now is the time to quit.
For FREE help, text INDIANA to 88709.
If you want to help educate and empower your friends and peers, visit breatheeasyhamiltoncounty.com to sign up for VOICE.
Gabe Anderson is a sophomore at Westfield High School and is a Core Team member of the VOICE Indiana representing Hamilton County.