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Commercial Tobacco Use
Youth Counter-Marketing Campaigns
Minnesota has multiple counter-marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of vaping, foster peer-to-peer engagement, and encourage young people to quit. These campaigns work to change social norms around vaping and the use of other commercial tobacco products, as well as promote resources on wellbeing and tools to help young people quit.
Mass-reach health communications campaigns are a critical part of comprehensive commercial tobacco control programs. They raise awareness about the dangers of commercial tobacco use, increase community support for effective commercial tobacco control efforts, and encourage people to quit. They're also important to counter tobacco industry advertising, especially to protect young people, as the industry increasingly uses new advertising tactics to market their products.
Learn more: Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs – Mass-Reach Health Communication Interventions
Room to Breathe
Room to Breathe is a digital campaign with short, animated videos that run on social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. This campaign creates safe and ownable space for youth to learn about the dangers of vaping, how the industry targets communities with its products, tools for quitting, and ways to get involved in the community.
Learn more: aroomtobreathe.org
Hey Norm
Many young people are already aware of the dangers of vaping. They know it’s bad for their health, and they’re also concerned about friends who vape. But they also don’t feel like it’s their place to intervene. Enter Norm Davidson, Founder and CEO of 1-833-HEY-NORM. “Who’s Norm,” you ask? He's a quirky and dorky, dad-like figure who’s willing to have the vape talk for you!
Norm, who some describe as half Bill Nye and half Saul Goodman, offers to have the “vape talk” for youth and their friends. His hotline offers vape facts, “vape talk” conversation starters, tools for quitting, and more.
Learn more: heynorm.org
Escape the Vape Video Challenge
The Escape the Vape Video Challenge is an annual contest for Minnesota’s middle and high school students. Students are encouraged to create and submit 30-second PSAs on the dangers of vaping for a chance to win cash prizes for themselves and their school.
The contest was first launched in 2021. Submissions are typically accepted in the winter, with public voting and winners announced in the spring.
Learn more: Escape the Vape Video Challenge
My Life, My QuitTM
My Life, My Quit is a program to help Minnesota teens ages 13-17 quit vaping, smoking, or using other commercial tobacco and nicotine products. My Life, My Quit is free and confidential, and teens can text, call, or chat with quit coaches online. Tips and tools are also available online.
Teens can text “Start My Quit” to 36072 or visit mylifemyquit.com.
My Life, My QuitTM as an alternative to suspension
My Life, My Quit is also a productive alternative to in-school or out-of-school school suspensions. My Life, My Quit coaches are specially trained to engage teens who have been referred for help by parents, educators, and the justice system and are required to complete a commercial tobacco treatment program as an alternative to punishment.