Alaska teens host anti-tobacco summit online – Alaska Public Media

Teen ambassadors from throughout the state will lead a digital anti-tobacco summit this Thursday. It’s a part of a peer-to-peer training program referred to as Youth Encouraging Alaskans’ Well being, or YEAH.

Charlie Ess is an grownup organizer with this system. He says the kids get educated in public talking and presenting earlier than going to well being festivals and presenting in school rooms.

“These are of us devoted to creating wholesome lives for individuals they know. And they also provide you with what they assume is necessary. After which they provide you with methods to current that the place they assume it’s going to resonate to the oldsters they current to,” Ess stated.

The teenagers create tobacco prevention movies that academics throughout the state use of their school rooms.

Leihla Harrison is a sophomore at Soldotna Excessive Faculty. She and one other ambassador simply completed making an academic video in regards to the risks of vaping.

“The very best half for me is getting to show different children about how harmful it’s,” Harrison stated. “As a result of I see all these children are vaping, they usually’re smoking within the bogs and within the parking tons. And I wish to educate them that it’s not a superb factor to do, that it harms them.”

Leena Edais is a sophomore at Dimond Excessive Faculty in Anchorage. She says she acquired concerned with this system as a result of loads of her pals vape or use e-cigarettes.

“I do know the results of it, however loads of children don’t. They simply assume it’s like respiratory air —  flavored air — nevertheless it’s not. So I needed to assist children round Alaska and the Decrease 48,” she stated.

Knowledge from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention reveals that greater than a 3rd of Alaska teenagers have used some type of tobacco product.

The non-profit Rural Alaska Neighborhood Motion Program has run the YEAH program for the final 4 years with funding from the state.

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