According to WV Public News, close to 700 students from West Virginia recently attended an event organized by Raze Youth Summit to learn about the dangers of e-cigarettes and e-cigarette liquid.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Lung Association (ALA) sponsored and coordinated this event. In the Charleston Hall and Conference Center, students and educators participated in activities and educational sessions aimed at reducing youth smoking rates.
Impressively, participants were given the opportunity to understand the effects of smoking on their aging process through special effects makeup. This segment, titled “Unfiltered Truth: The Physical Burden of Nicotine,” was personally led by special effects makeup artist RJ Haddy.
According to a report by CAR on the tobacco situation in 2023, 22% of adults in West Virginia are smokers, while nearly 41% of high school students use tobacco products.
Ambassador Indy Tupa of Raze stated that Raze taught her how to help her father quit smoking. “I provided my father with the link and resources of the Raze website, as well as some smoking alternatives such as chewing gum or snacks, which greatly assisted him in his smoking cessation,” Tupa expressed.