Panhandle Public Health District (PPHD) once again has partnered with area students to spread the word on the dangers of tobacco use of any kind. A campaign on PPHD’s Facebook page featured six athletes from around the Panhandle who are leading the charge in their schools and communities on vowing to not use tobacco or vape products. The athletes highlighted included:
- Grace Dean of Bridgeport, “I don’t want to waste the life I have been given.” “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” -1 Corinthians 6:19-20-
- Kanon Palmer of Sidney, “I don’t vape or use tobacco because I want to stay focused on school and athletics. These habits can have serious health consequences and interfere with my future plans.”
- Maddi Cheleen of South Platte, “I choose to stay vape and tobacco free so that I can be my very best now and in the future. There is nothing positive that either would add to my life and I want to have a positive influence on those around me.”
- Mikayla Kumpf of Hemingford, “I choose not to vape so I can be healthy and perform to the best of my ability so my team can rely on me.”
- Gavin Hunt of Garden County, “I choose to be vape and tobacco free because I want to live an easy, healthy life.”
- Kinley Pfeiffer of Alliance, “I choose to be vape and tobacco free so that I can be at my best for myself and my teammates.”
Each of these athletes has a post on the PPHD Facebook page and the athlete that receives most “likes” on the original post on Facebook will get a $250 scholarship courtesy of PPHD. Voting begins November 27, 2023 and ends December 11, 2023.
As of 2020, 4.2% of Nebraska high school students smoke and 17.1% use e-cigarettes. In the last 2 years alone, vaping increased by 218% among middle schoolers and 135% among high schoolers. Teens who vape are now 3x more likely than non-vapors to become daily cigarette smokers.
Nicotine increases your heart rate, tenses your muscles, and decreases the oxygen to your brain, despite a reputation for ‘relieving stress.’ In young people, 5 mg of nicotine a day is enough to establish a nicotine addiction.
Young people also face increased instances of anxiety and depression and while it has always been thought that nicotine is a stress reducer, this is a common myth. In a study published by the Journal of American Medical Association, current e-cigarette users have double the odds of having a diagnosis of depression compared to those who have never vaped. Nicotine use in general can increase stress levels.
Teens who currently use tobacco products can now get the help they need to quit. My Life, My QuitTM is a free and confidential way for teens to quit smoking or vaping. Teens can text a coach, chat online, or call for help that includes ways to cope with stress in healthy ways, understanding why nicotine is addictive, and getting tips and support to help quit for good. Teens can text “Start My Quit” to 36072 or visit https://ne.mylifemyquit.org/index to start taking their lives back today.
Visit PPHD’s Facebook page to vote for the student athletes today: https://www.facebook.com/panhandlepublichealth.
For help quitting, the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline is available at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), and for Spanish services at 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569). We encourage parents and teens to talk to their healthcare provider about resources and support. For additional resources visit www.QuitNow.ne.gov or www.pphd.ne.gov.
Panhandle Public Health District is working together to improve the health, safety, and quality of life for all who live, learn, work and play in the Panhandle. Our vision is that we are a healthier and safer Panhandle Community.
Funding for this project is provided by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services/Tobacco Free Nebraska Program as a result of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.