Page 11 - MidWeek Kauai - Oct 20, 2021

A fter hiking miles into Nuʻuanu for an ele- mentary school field trip, nothing could parallel an icy-cold carton of POG. It’s a small memory I dredge up ev- ery time those bursts of citrus and waves of sweetness dance on my taste buds, stretching a grin across my face with every sip. For many of us, POG, or any other fruity drink or candy or food, was a defining part of our childhood. Those flavors are the key to activating our
like nicotine and formaldehyde in combination, it’s easy for kids to get hooked and caught in a cycle of addiction.
PROOF POSITIVE
Taking A Stand Against Big Tobacco
OCTOBER 20, 2021
KAUA‘I MIDWEEK 11
By Joshua Ching, Youth Council member of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaiʻi
The Youth Council of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaiʻi, a group of middle, high school and college stu- dents from across the islands, has stepped up to fight that challenge.
fond memories and feelings. No one, however, under- stands that better than the to- bacco industry. For decades, Big Tobacco has weaponized the flavors of our childhood. In Hawaiʻi, e-cigarette flavors like POG, Maui Hot Bread, and Mauna Dew line store shelves, contributing to our state having one of the highest high school and middle school vaping rates across the U.S. With chemicals
Over the past several years, our members have led peer-to- peer presentations and training, organized awareness events and met with state legislators, all in an effort to push for an end to the sale of flavored to- bacco products and increased regulation on the industry. Personally, serving on this council has empowered me to believe that I, no matter my background or age, have the capacity to fight for justice.
Youth Council members of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i (from left) Nikkya Taliaferro (Moanalua High School) and Zoey Duan (Punahou School) take part in the March Against Menthol on March 7. PHOTOS COURTESY COALITION FOR A TOBACCO-FREE HAWAI‘I
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The efforts of our council re- ceived national recognition — the Youth Council was named
the 2021 Youth Advocates of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the leading tobacco control advocacy orga- nization in the nation.
legislative session in January, we’ re looking for advocates to get involved. Visit hiphi. org/youth or contact coor- dinator Scott Stensrud at scott@hiphi.org.
island school
As we prepare for the next

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