THE FACTS NOW Prevention Campaign Goes "Behind The Screen" On Risks of Youth Vaping

Statewide multiplatform campaign features hard-hitting ads showing teens and young adults the harmful health effects of vaping.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 17, 2024, THE FACTS NOW launched Behind The Screen, its new statewide initiative focusing on educating youth and young adults about the health risks associated with electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, or vaping.

Serving as the youth education, awareness and prevention campaign of the Florida Department of Health's Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida, THE FACTS NOW is designed to combat misinformation and the glamorization of e-cigarette devices among Florida's youth and young adults in the styles and platforms where they are most effectively reached – across social media.

Currently, the majority of portrayals of e-cigarette use in social media are positive, presenting young people using e-cigarettes through positive, upbeat imagery.¹ Health warnings, including toxicity and risk of nicotine addiction, are rarely shown.²

Behind The Screen is designed to counter the influence of these portrayals with videos that take common positive social media e-cigarette content and contrast it with the stark, deglamorized reality of the serious, harmful health effects associated with vaping.

The campaign will be seen in all 67 counties throughout Florida, with an annual reach of 89% among youth and young adults. Keeping a sustained drumbeat, the campaign will have hundreds of millions of interactions over time, with the goal of shaping outlooks and ultimately encouraging vaping prevention and cessation.

"Vaping by our middle and high schoolers across Florida has come down from its recent meteoric rise, in large part due to sustained education and awareness much like this new initiative," said Laura Corbin, Bureau Chief for Tobacco Free Florida. "Continuing these concerted efforts to reach young Floridians where they get information and cultural input – which we know more than ever is through their phones and devices – can help keep them informed of the dangers of vaping and protect their health in the long run."

Behind The Screen will show five unique aspects of teen and young adult life with the goal of connecting with different audiences with different interests. The advertisements will include:

• "Behind The Ball" – a confident athlete's vaping habit affects him on the basketball court.
• "Behind The Fit Check" – a bubbly teen loses her composure when her vape stops working.
• "Behind The Game" – an upbeat gamer's livestream comes to an abrupt end as a result of his nicotine addiction.
• "Behind The Night" – a vape user's nighttime routine turns into a sleepless night.
• "Behind The Road Trip" – a casual car ride ruined by nicotine addiction.

Behind The Screen will run statewide and in every Florida media market, kicking off with "Behind The Road Trip" and "Behind The Ball," followed by the remaining content premiering later this year. THE FACTS NOW is distributing the segments across platforms, such as Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Behind The Screen content will also appear across various platforms such as television commercials, streaming platforms and more.

Public health campaigns like THE FACTS NOW are critical to educating Floridians about the health risks associated with e-cigarettes, especially youth, because of the significant advertising commitment by the tobacco industry. In 2021, the largest e-cigarette manufacturers spent over $859.4 million on e-cigarette advertising, including $1.5 million on their company-controlled social media accounts.³

E-cigarettes are the most commonly used nicotine delivery system among Florida youth and young adults.⁴ In 2023, 12.5% of Florida high school students reported e-cigarette use.⁵ E-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, which is highly addictive.⁶

Youth and young adults may be more sensitive to nicotine and feel dependent on nicotine sooner than adults.^7,8,9 The brain continues to develop until about age 25 and the developing brain is more vulnerable to nicotine's effects, including reduced impulse control, deficits in attention and cognition, and mood disorders.¹⁰ Evidence suggests that teens who use e-cigarettes may be at greater risk of starting to smoke regular cigarettes.¹¹

Behind The Screen can help youth and young adults understand the health consequences and risks of using these devices. These campaign videos are available on YouTube.

About Tobacco Free Florida
The Florida Department of Health's Tobacco Free Florida campaign is a statewide cessation and prevention campaign funded by Florida's tobacco settlement fund. Since the program began in 2007, more than 295,000 Floridians have successfully quit using one of Tobacco Free Florida's free tools and services. There are now approximately 451,000 fewer adult smokers in Florida than there were 10 years ago, and the state has saved $17.7 billion in health care costs. To learn more about Tobacco Free Florida's Quit Your Way services, visit TobaccoFreeFlorida.com or follow the campaign on Facebook at Facebook.com/TobaccoFreeFlorida or on X (formerly Twitter) at Twitter.com/tobaccofreefla.

About THE FACTS NOW
THE FACTS NOW is a statewide youth-focused tobacco control campaign under Tobacco Free Florida designed to educate about the health-related issues with using tobacco and nicotine products. Since the launch in 2015, the campaign focuses on delivering information, clarifying facts, and debunking misconceptions around the tobacco industry on platforms that reach youth and young adult audiences. To learn more about THE FACTS NOW, visit THEFACTSNOW.com or follow the campaign across all social platforms.

¹ Smith, M.J., Buckton, C., Patterson, C. et al. User-generated content and influencer marketing involving e-cigarettes on social media: a scoping review and content analysis of YouTube and Instagram. BMC Public Health 23, 530 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15389-1
² Smith, M.J., Buckton, C., Patterson, C. et al. User-generated content and influencer marketing involving e-cigarettes on social media: a scoping review and content analysis of YouTube and Instagram. BMC Public Health 23, 530 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15389-1
³ Federal Trade Commission. (2024). E-cigarette report for 2021. 
⁴ Florida Department of Health. Florida Youth Tobacco Survey. 2023. Accessed January 11, 2024
⁵ Florida Department of Health. Florida Youth Tobacco Survey. 2023. Accessed January 11, 2024
⁶ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2016.
⁷ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2016.
⁸ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014. Printed with corrections, January 2014.
⁹ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2012.
¹⁰ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2016.
¹¹ Berry KM, Fetterman JL, Benjamin EJ, et al. Association of Electronic Cigarette Use With Subsequent Initiation of Tobacco Cigarettes in US Youths. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(2):e187794. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.7794

SOURCE Tobacco Free Florida