Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that 18% of middle school students in Hawaii are using e-cigarettes, the highest rate among the 14 states surveyed. Of these young people, 30% are of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander ancestry, with e-cigarette use being highest among Hawaii's major ethnic groups.
Scott Okamoto, a researcher at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, has been awarded $2.8 million in funding to develop interventions for preventing electronic cigarette use among rural youth in Hawaii. The project is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and is based on Hoʻouna Pono, a substance abuse prevention program designed for rural Hawaii teenagers.
An electronic cigarette intervention program will update the existing Hoʻouna Pono curriculum and introduce new electronic cigarette and vaping prevention content, including social and print media campaigns in intermediate and multi-level public and public charter schools on the island of Hawaii. Over 500 students are expected to participate in this study within the next five years.
According to Okamoto, "To our knowledge, this is the first study that develops and tests e-cigarette prevention interventions specifically for rural youth in Hawaii. Our proposed intervention will educate young people about the risks of using e-cigarettes, while reflecting the cultural and relational values of Hawaii's rural youth and communities.
Teenagers and young adults who use e-cigarettes experience adverse respiratory symptoms including symptoms of asthma and bronchitis. E-cigarette use also increases the risk of using combustible tobacco, which is directly linked to lung cancer.
Preventing the use of electronic cigarettes through a reliable intervention program not only helps reduce serious respiratory illnesses but also prevents rural Hawaiian youth from potentially using combustible cigarettes.
Statement
This article is compiled from third-party information and is intended for industry exchange and learning purposes only.
This article does not represent the views of 2FIRSTS and 2FIRSTS cannot confirm the authenticity and accuracy of the content. The translation of this article is for the purpose of industry discussions and research only.
Due to limitations in the level of translation, the translated article may not fully express the original meaning. Please refer to the original article for accuracy.
2FIRSTS maintains complete alignment with the Chinese government on all domestic, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and foreign-related statements and positions.
The copyright of the compiled information belongs to the original media and author, and if there is any infringement, please contact for deletion.
This document has been generated through artificial intelligence translation and is provided solely for the purposes of industry discourse and learning. Please note that the intellectual property rights of the content belong to the original media source or author. Owing to certain limitations in the translation process, there may be discrepancies between the translated text and the original content. We recommend referring to the original source for complete accuracy. In case of any inaccuracies, we invite you to reach out to us with corrections. If you believe any content has infringed upon your rights, please contact us immediately for its removal.
