SALISBURY, Md. - The Wicomico County Health Department wants youth groups to apply and create social media campaigns against vaping.
The Health Department has received funding from the Maryland Department of Health's Tobacco, Diabetes and Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Initiative to develop tobacco/ vape social media campaigns. $6,000 in funding will awarded to two organizations that propose the best campaign.
The campaigns will be created by youth in youth groups, a faith-based organization, civic groups, etc. to counteract the attractiveness of tobacco/ vape products.
Carol Fenner with the Wicomico County Health Department says the numbers of youth using tobacco/ vape are increasing. Fenner says, "Over the years, tobacco companies have spent billions of dollars trying to tap into different platforms that the youth use. They use digital and social media campaigns. And kids find these vape products and tobacco products attractive."
Fenner says the best method to counter these corporate campaigns is getting youth to speak with youth. "We're hoping that once these social media campaigns are done, they hear it coming from their peers and it'll make them stop and think."
Kids within the organizations are encouraged to do anything creative. Things like Tik Tok dances, making a video, or artistic posters with painting or drawing could be used as a social media campaign.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore Le-Ann Piposzar says they would like to be a part of getting the message out. She says, "having the youth to create something social media wise is going to be much more effective. It's more effective to get out to the younger generations than it is for the older generations."
Hoping this method is successful to stopping addiction.
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