Local youth meet with Senator Martinez to discuss youth vaping

Brentwood, NY – Reality Check youth from the Brentwood Freshman Center recently sat down with New York State Senator Monica Martinez to discuss the tobacco-related concerns of their community. The former Brentwood educator turned Senator became the student, as Reality Check members shared information with her about the harmful impact that deceptive tobacco marketing has had on underage youth and other marginalized groups. Reality Check is a youth-led, adult-supported movement in New York State that empowers youth to become leaders in their communities, exposing the manipulative and deceptive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry.

At the meeting, held at the Brentwood Freshman Center, youth members staged a mock debate for Senator Martinez, Senate staffer Adina Beedenbender, and Freshman Center school principal Vincent Autera about the youth vaping epidemic and the role that marketing plays in fueling it. Half of the group represented Reality Check and the other half represented the opponents— the tobacco industry. Both groups asked and answered questions, highlighting the tobacco industry’s deceptive marketing that attracts and addicts youth to nicotine.

During the mock debate, Reality Check member Sarai Canales, a freshman at the Freshman Center, addressed the dangers of menthol-flavored tobacco products, stressing “Menthol is not just a flavor, but it masks the irritation that smoking has on the mouth and throat with its cooling effect.” These effects make menthol tobacco products easier to start and harder to quit.

“We know that more than 54% of youth who smoke, smoke menthol,” said Stacy Dacelien, Reality Check Coordinator. “This shows that these kinds of flavored tobacco products are attractive to youth in our communities. The Reality Check youth I work with tell me they often see their peers using e-cigarettes/vapes, which is not surprising since 1 in 5 high school youth in New York State use e-cigarettes/vapes.”

In response to Principal Artero’s questions about what more the school can do to address youth vaping/e-cigarette use, the Reality Check members made several suggestions. They recommended training school personnel to address nicotine addiction, holding student assemblies about the dangers of vape/electronic cigarette use, and providing external resources to help youth quit.

The youth later asked Senator Martinez questions about her Senate duties, the struggles she has faced in her journey and her Latin background. Reality Check member Kenia Juarez, a freshman at the Freshman Center, asked if the Senator ever misses being an educator. Senator Martinez responded that “learning and education still continue” in her line of work, as she regularly meets with members of her community to hear their concerns.

Reflecting on her visit with the Brentwood youth Senator Martinez expressed that “Teens sometimes need a reality check to fully understand the consequences of nicotine use. Thanks to the partnership between the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island and local youth, they are learning firsthand about the harm this highly addictive drug can cause from their fellow school-aged students. The youthful volunteers leading this effort understand how to connect with their peers on this issue, making them trusted voices and enabling them to have a profound impact on reducing tobacco use among adolescents. During my visit to the Brentwood Freshman Center, I was inspired by the passion in their words and the depth of their commitment. These students are truly making a difference in combating nicotine abuse among children.”

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The Tobacco Action Coalition of LI is one of 21 Advancing Tobacco Free Communities’ grants funded by the NYS DOH’s Bureau of Tobacco Control and administered by the American Lung Association. Our grant is comprised of a community engagement and youth action component, Reality Check, who work collaboratively to promote environments open to creating a tobacco-free norm as well as educating and empowering our youth to become change agents within their communities.