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Youth in Hawaii are concerned that 1 in 3 of their classmates vape. Statistics reveal that nationally 85% of young smokers opt for flavored tobacco products.

In Hawaii, high school, middle school, and even elementary-aged kids are being targeted with flavors like POG, orange passion and fruit punch in an effort to lure keiki into a lifelong battle with nicotine addiction.

As youth, we see ​​firsthand the role that flavors play in addiction. We are pressured to try vaping with products that mimic popular Hawaiian Sun flavors from friends who believe it’s just water vapor.

Studies found that teens who vape have an increased risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, physical fighting, attempted suicide, and alcohol/marijuana use.

It’s hard to avoid the constant presence of vaping on our social media and the shows we stream. Flavors entice youth to try tobacco products, be it vapes, small cigars, or menthol cigarettes.

The high level of nicotine quickly turns that curiosity into addiction. It’s scary to see the extent of control that nicotine takes over people’s lives, students can’t make it through a class without heading to the bathroom to get their fix from their vape; they drop out of clubs or sports they once enjoyed and struggle with mental health issues.

By removing flavors, students will be far less likely to ever try a tobacco product and start down the road to nicotine addiction.

Helping Hawaii Youth

The City and County of Honolulu’s across Oahu and out of the hands of youth. While Bill 46 isn’t perfect — it exempts hookah tobacco, loose-leaf tobacco, and premium cigars — it does end the sale of the most popular flavored tobacco products among our peers: flavored vapes, small cigars, and menthol cigarettes.

While we would have preferred a bill with no exemptions, we believe this bill does far more good than harm, especially for youth.

Seeing the impact tobacco products have in our communities led us to our involvement with the . Along with other students from across the state, we are working to protect Hawaii’s next generation from the detrimental effects of tobacco and nicotine.

We educate our peers about the dangers of tobacco use, but education alone can’t solve the problem.

We also need lawmakers to take policy action. We applaud and thank the City Council’s efforts to protect our peers by passing Bill 46 to end the sale of flavored tobacco products in Hawaii, which youth and public health advocates have fought for since 2008.

We ask Mayor Rick Blangiardi to have the City and County of Honolulu join the more than 300 cities and municipalities across the country that have ended the sale of flavored tobacco by signing Bill 46.

Even with this victory secured, however, we need the Hawaii Legislature to reinstate the county’s ability to regulate tobacco sales this coming legislative season so Bill 46 can take effect.

By doing so, we can deny the tobacco industry the ability to profit from addiction and improve the physical and mental health of our local communities.