Youth Video Campaign Promotes Healthy Coping Skills to Manage Stress

DENVER, April 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of high school students from Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas Counties recently created a series of videos in collaboration with Tobacco Free 303 to encourage young people to manage stress with exercise, hobbies and other healthy coping mechanisms instead of vaping.

Tri-County Health Department officials say young people may be feeling anxious due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, making conversations about healthy coping strategies even more important right now.

"The young people we work with sometimes turn to vaping because they feel stressed out, which is understandable," said John M. Douglas, Jr., M.D, executive director of Tri-County Health Department. "Stay-at-home orders, being isolated from friends and school, these may be making young people feel more anxious or unhappy. We hope parents will take this opportunity to have a conversation with their kids about vaping and help them find healthy ways to manage the stress they're dealing with."

Health experts warn smoking and vaping may increase a person's risk of respiratory disease, including potential complications from the novel coronavirus. Additionally, vaping is linked to harmful effects on teens' mental health, including anxiety, mood swings and learning difficulties.

Colorado's youth vaping rate is double the national average, with one quarter of teens surveyed reporting they currently use e-cigarettes. According to the most recent Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, only half of teens surveyed believe vaping is risky.

The Tobacco Free 303 website now features special resources for young people to avoid or quit using vape products, including the videos and short "photo/voice" testimonials from other teens about healthy coping skills. It also has suggestions on how to cope during the uncertain and stressful time we're all experiencing.

About Tobacco Free 303

Tobacco Free 303 is a non-profit coalition of community organizations in the Denver metro area working together to educate Coloradans, particularly younger generations, about the dangers of tobacco use. The coalition empowers officials, parents and community members to take action against the tobacco industry's targeting of youth, using evidence-based strategies that reduce youth access to and use of tobacco products.

Contact:

Katie Trexler Kern

303.941.4118

katie@becausemessagematters.com

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SOURCE Tobacco Free 303