According to the Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment (APNA) survey, 29.1% of Arkansas high school seniors, 15.2% of eighth graders, and 6.8% of sixth graders have reported trying e-cigarettes at least once. One of the most significant factors that increase youth risk of tobacco and cigarettes is being exposed to tobacco use through parental smoking. Joy Gray, Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) and branch chief of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, says that early intervention and education are key to helping youth make informed decisions about tobacco use when they get older.
E-cigarette use has increased in youth and young adults.
The average age of youth who first use e-cigarettes (among those who indicated they had used them) is 13. One of the most popular arguments for e-cigarette usage and vaping among teens has been that it is claimed to be better for you than smoking cigarettes. Joy says that research shows that this is not the full truth.
“There has been a lot of misinformation regarding vaping that made it seem like it was less dangerous than smoking combustible cigarettes,” Joy says. “We now know that vaping is not safe. It’s not good for you, and, honestly, we have no idea what impacts we’re going to see long-term,” she says. Short-term impacts of vaping include lung illness, hacking cough, increased anxiety, and difficulty breathing.
Prevention efforts have helped, but there's still more work to do.
Since 2001, ADH’s Tobacco Cessation and Prevention program has provided statewide awareness, education, and data all used in the fight against tobacco use. Their current focus is on intervening as early as possible to teach youth the dangers of all nicotine products. ADH currently funds Project Prevent, an extracurricular school program with 92 chapters around the state.
“We also fund subgrantees around the state that go into schools and present a variety of vaping prevention programming,” Joy says. Most recently, ADH created Coral’s Reef, a cartoon series aimed at youth ages 5-7 created by Joy and Patrick Fleming, ADH's director of health marketing, about the harmful chemicals and germs that you breathe in when you vape.
Pregnant mothers are also a key population of focus.
“Right now, one of our most successful targeted programs is the Be Well Baby program, aimed at pregnant mothers,” Joy says. “Be Well Baby has 10 counseling sessions. As women move through the program, they earn vouchers for diapers and wipes they can redeem at Walmart in-store or online at Walmart.com.”
Ensuring that women have a healthy, smoke-free pregnancy and continue to avoid tobacco products after their baby is born are great ways to help that person stop using tobacco products altogether. “Hopefully, this will prevent their baby from growing up to be a smoker as well,” Joy says. “A healthy, smoke-free start can be a way for Arkansans to stay tobacco-free across their whole lifespan.”
Heatlh care professionals play a vital role in a patient's journey to quitting.
As a health care professional, the easiest thing you can do to help patients who are using is to Ask, Revise, Refer. “Ask your patients (or their parents) if they smoke, dip, or vape,” Joy says. “Advise them on the positive health outcomes if they quit and the potential dangers if they continue. Refer them to Be Well Arkansas by having them call 1-833-283-WELL or visit www.bewellarkansas.org.”
Additionally, there are several resources for practitioners regarding tobacco prevention and cessation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) have several valuable resources, including some directed toward teenagers and young adults.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Lung Association, and the American Cancer Society also have great resources tailored directly to children, parents, and youth.
“As always, anyone who is interested in learning how to talk to patients about tobacco can contact us at ADH just by emailing
Download a free teen smoking bookmark here.
Get involved and show your support.
Events are taking place in communities all over the state to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking. “We are currently filling orders for cards, postcards, magnets, and lanyards with our phone number on them that will be displayed on tables at events all over the state so Arkansans always have that number at their fingertips,” Joy says.
All Arkansans can show their support on social media or by attending events in their community. “If someone you care about is using tobacco or nicotine products, now is a great time to find and share information about Be Well Arkansas to help them on their journey to quit,” Joy says.
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