EVPs* – better known as e-cigarettes – are dangerous devices that have become popular among Florida’s youth. Not much is known about what e-cigarettes do to the body.

SWAT plays an important role in educating Florida’s youth on these products and empowering them to live a tobacco free life. To help inspire community change, here is a guide to talk to other students about the dangers – both known and unknown – of e-cigarettes.

EVP (Electronic Vapor Product)

There is a problem with misinformation regarding the safety (or lack thereof) of EVPs.

Common incorrect assumptions:

• E-liquid is safe (“flavored water”)
• EVPs aerosol/emissions are safe
• If there is no nicotine in e-liquid, it is safe
• EVPs are a safe alternative to conventional cigarettes
• The EVPs industry is completely different than the cigarette industry

Truth:

• Dangerous chemicals can be found in e-liquids, particularly in certain flavors
• ENDS companies are playing on youths’ feeling of invincibility
• ENDS are new tobacco products, so many of the ingredients and their effects on your body are unknown (fear of the unknown)
• Some of the most popular ENDS products are owned by Big Tobacco companies – the same companies that lied about the harmful nature of cigarettes

Teen e-cigarette use has significantly increased in recent years and, in 2021, e-cigarettes continue to be the most used tobacco product among teens. In Florida, 12.8% of youth still use an e-cigarette, compared to just 1.1% who use conventional cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are not safe, period. Nicotine is a dangerous and addictive drug. The brain develops until about age 25 and the adolescent brain is more vulnerable to nicotine’s effects, including reduced impulse control, attention and cognition, and mood disorders. It’s more important than ever to support teens who make the decision to quit e-cigarettes.

Tobacco Free Florida is here to help. Our Live Vape Free program empowers adults to become champions for teens (ages 13-17) looking to quit and arms teens with the tools and resources to help them throughout their quit journey. We want teens and parents to have a place to go to learn about the harms of e-cigarette use, hear from peers and, most importantly, have a place to act when they are ready. 

FOR ADULTS 

Live Vape Free provides adults with self-paced online courses, one-on-one coach support and downloadable toolkits to educate them on youth e-cigarette use, and arm them with the tools needed to support teens on their quit journeys.

Adults (ages 18 and older) looking to quit any form of nicotine, including e-cigarettes, can do so with the Quit Your Way program. 

FOR TEENS 

Live Vape Free provides teens (ages 13-17) with text support, interactive content and one-on-one coach support to help them quit e-cigarettes. This program is a fun learning experience that’s easy-to-navigate and teaches teens the skills needed to quit. 

The tobacco industry spends billions marketing to our communities at the point of sale, spending over $8 billion dollars a year marketing cigarettes alone in the United States^1. From influencers to flavors, tobacco executives use tricky tactics to reach their target audience.

From the moment a young person walks into a store, they are exposed to point of sale marketing tactics. Tobacco companies unreasonably target specific demographic groups such as youth, minorities, and those of low income or education.

Marketing of tobacco products is purposely designed to recruit smokers at an early age and maintain current smokers.

• Point of Sale Infographic

SWAT is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize the tobacco industry. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future.

The mission is simple: Share the facts and let you decide for yourself.

SWAT empowers Florida youth to educate their peers about the manipulative tactics of tobacco companies, so that together we can take a stand and make a change for the next generation.

Now that you know a little more about us, it is time to help FIGHT BACK and save a generation of Floridians from tobacco addiction. You must be in middle or high school to join. Call 850-595-6500 ext. 1832 to find out what you can do to be a part of the movement.

Visit SWAT to access the facts or to learn more about the statewide movement. 

Not a Lab Rat Day will be observed annually on the third Wednesday of October to bring awareness to e-cigarette use among youth, encourage youth to stand up against the tobacco and e-cigarette industry, and to push for change within their communities.

The partnership meets every other month to:

• Reduce tobacco use
• Reduce our county’s youth initiation rate
• Protect all residents from second-hand smoke exposure

Upcoming events and current tobacco issues and trends are also discussed. Meetings are open to the public.

For more information, please contact the Escambia County's tobacco prevention specialist at 850-316-2758.

Florida House Bill 105 was signed into law on June 25, 2022. This bill amended the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act (FCIAA) as follows:

• Revises the title of section 386.201, Florida Statutes, to read “Florida Clean Air Act;” removing “indoor” form the act’s “popular name”.
• Allows counties and municipalities to further restrict smoking within the boundaries of any public beaches and public parks that they own, except that they may not further restrict the smoking of unfiltered cigars; and
• Allows a municipality to further restrict smoking within the boundaries of public beaches and public parks that are within its jurisdiction but are owned by the county, unless such restriction conflicts with a county ordinance, except that they may not further restrict the smoking of unfiltered cigars.

In short, counties and municipalities can now pass ordinances to regulate smoking on parks and beaches that they own.

There are many negative consequences to allowing tobacco use in public parks and beaches. These include:

• 1 out of 4 children report being subjected to secondhand smoke while at the beach or in a park in Florida.
• There are 177 species of marine animals and 111 species of shorebirds affected by tobacco litter, causing unnecessary malnutrition, starvation, and death. Tobacco litter has been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales, and other animals who mistake it for food.
• Cleanup costs related to tobacco litter removal consume a substantial amount of tax dollars. Estimates for major cities range from $3 million to $16 million per year.
• About one third of all litter picked up by volunteers on the beach are cigarette butts.

There are numerous benefits to tobacco-free outdoor recreational areas.

Health benefits include:

• Protection from harmful secondhand smoke exposure
• Protection of young children, pets, and wildlife from toxic cigarette butts, e-cigarette waste, and other tobacco litter
• Encourage people to make healthy choices and increase quit attempts

Environmental benefits include:

• Reduced tobacco and electronic vapor product (EVP) litter
• Cleaner waterways and oceans
• Protection of marine and wildlife from toxic tobacco litter
• Reduced risk of fires

Throughout Florida, owners of apartment buildings and duplexes have begun to offer smokefree units as an amenity for their residents.  

For additional information or to schedule a meeting about developing a smokefree policy for your property, call the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County’s (DOH-Escambia) Tobacco Prevention and Control Program staff at 850-316-2758

Smokefree Multi-Unit Housing Materials

• Property Manager Brochure
• Voluntary Smokefree Multiunit Housing

Quit Smoking and Tobacco Resources for Individuals Looking to Quit

Quitting is one of the most important things you will ever do for yourself and the ones you love. Here are a few good reasons to quit using tobacco products:

• Once you quit, you will have a chance to live longer and a better quality of life.
• Your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or cancer will decrease.
• If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, you will improve your chances of having a healthy baby.
• The people who live with you, especially your children, will be healthier. Secondhand and/or thirdhand smoke increases the likelihood of bronchitis and pneumonia and increases the frequency and severity of childhood asthma.
• You will have extra money to spend on other things like food, clothes, or vacations.

If you have tried to quit smoking, you know how difficult it can be. But we are here to help.

DOH-Escambia offers a FREE, 1 time, 2-hour “Quit Smoking Now” clinic to help residents kick the habit. The program is supported by the Tobacco Free Florida in Escambia County Program and taught by West Florida Area Health Education Centers (WFAHEC) personnel.

• Contact 850-595-6500, ext. 1815 or 1831 to learn more.
• Community Classes

For FREE quit counseling and nicotine patches, contact the Florida Quitline at 877-U-CAN-NOW (877-822-6669).

Visit the Tobacco Free Florida website to link up with a Quit Coach, sign-up for Group Quit classes, and learn facts about cessation and upcoming events.

Quit Smoking and Tobacco Resources for Health Care Providers

Patients who work with their health care providers are more successful in their attempts to quit tobacco. Every consultation is an opportunity for an intervention and cessation guidance.

If your patients want to quit, refer them to the Florida Department of Health’s Quit Your Way Program, which provides free and evidence-based tools and services. Your patients can access tools like a 2-week starter kit of nicotine replacement patches, Text2Quit, email tips, and a Quit Guide. They can choose as many as they need or use them in addition to Phone, Group, and Web Quit services, which have already helped more than 234,000 Floridians successfully quit.

Tobacco Free Florida in Escambia County can also assist your organization in creating a referral policy.