News and Events

Not A Lab Rat Day Exposes How History is Repeating Itself When It Comes to Vaping
October 19, 2022

E-cigarette companies use the same tricks, including flavors and marketing campaigns, that tobacco companies used for decades to target and recruit young smokers(1). Not a surprise considering Big Tobacco companies own or have significantly invested in e-cigarette companies(2,3). These are the same tobacco companies that for decades lied about the addictiveness and health effects of cigarettes(4).

SWAT is Florida’s youth-led movement to combat Big Tobacco. Not A Lab Rat Day is a statewide initiative that empowers youth to stand up and declare that they refuse to be the tobacco and e-cigarette industry’s “lab rats” as we wait and see the long-term health effects of vaping.

The fifth annual Not A Lab Rat Day in Highlands County was a great success. Youth at all Highlands Middle and High schools used this opportunity to dispel myths and educate their peers about the e-cigarette industry’s connection to Big Tobacco and inform them that when it to comes to e-cigarettes and vaping products, history is repeating itself. These activities were done in conjunction with Red Ribbon Week this year. Each school had dress days for more student involvement, which is why the SWAT Chapter decided to utilize this platform to celebrate.

Highlands SWAT Youth prepped for the day by hosting a lunchroom campaign during lunches. The booth had a simulated smoker’s lungs and rats to catch the student’s attention, as well as several other educational materials.

SWAT Youth educated their peers by busting myths and sharing statistics, including how they are marketed by big tobacco, that e-liquids are not safe, the unknown health effects of e-cigarettes on the body, and much more. Students were invited to fill out an “I’m not a Lab Rat, I am a _____.” Cards and sign a pledge wall.

Our local SWAT clubs are really working hard to spread the word and prove that when it comes to tobacco use and marketing, history is most certainly repeating itself.

Here are the facts:

Youth vaping has increased dramatically across the country, including right here in Highlands County. E-cigarette companies claim their products are intended for adults, but alarming rates among teens tell a different story. About 25% of Florida high school students are vaping (8) compared to 4% of Florida adults(9).

“We do not know what Big Tobacco’s involvement means for the future of e-cigarettes, but we do know the Big Tobacco cannot be trusted,” said Amanda John– Community Health Advocate. “That’s why we’re sharing the facts, educating our community, and standing up to the tobacco industry.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank Highlands County School Board for their comprehensive tobacco free policy, as well as allowing our youth to stand up for their health and participate in these national anti-tobacco observances.

If you are interested in adopting a tobacco free worksite policy, please contact Amanda John at ajohn@quitdoc.com.

For more information on SWAT, visit swatflorida.com/not-a-lab-rat/ or follow us on Instagram at @swatflorida.

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References

  1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General—Executive Summary. 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.
  2. Kirkham, Chris. "Altria to Buy $12.8 Billion Minority Stake in E-cigarette Company Juul." Reuters. 20 Dec. 2018. www.reuters.com/article/us-juul-altriagroup-m-a/altria-to-buy-12-8-billion-minority-stake-in-e-cigarette-company-juul-idUSKCN1OJ1JS (Accessed 27 Aug  2019)
  3. Kirkham, Chris. “Special Report: Juul copycats flood e-cig market, despite FDA rule.” Reuters. 24 Sept. 2018. www.reuters.com/article/us-vaping-regulation-juul-specialreport/special-report-juul-copycats-flood-e-cig-market-despite-fda-rule-idUSKCN1M418W (Accessed 27 Aug 2019)
  4. USA V. Philip Morris USA, Inc., et al., No. 99-CV-02496GK (U.S. Dist. Ct., D.C.), Final Opinion, August 17, 2006.
  5. Kirkham, Chris. "Altria to Buy $12.8 Billion Minority Stake in E-cigarette Company Juul." Reuters. 20 Dec. 2018. www.reuters.com/article/us-juul-altriagroup-m-a/altria-to-buy-12-8-billion-minority-stake-in-e-cigarette-company-juul-idUSKCN1OJ1JS (Accessed 27 Aug 2019)
  6. Kirkham, Chris. “Special Report: Juul copycats flood e-cig market, despite FDA rule.” Reuters. 24 Sept. 2018. www.reuters.com/article/us-vaping-regulation-juul-specialreport/special-report-juul-copycats-flood-e-cig-market-despite-fda-rule-idUSKCN1M418W (Access 27 Aug 2019)
  7. Kirkham, Chris. “Special Report: Juul copycats flood e-cig market, despite FDA rule.” Reuters. 24 Sept. 2018. www.reuters.com/article/us-vaping-regulation-juul-specialreport/special-report-juul-copycats-flood-e-cig-market-despite-fda-rule-idUSKCN1M418W (Access 27 Aug 2019)
  8. Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS), Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology, 2019.
  9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health. BRFSS Prevalence & Trends Data [online]. 2017. [accessed Aug 28, 2019]. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/brfssprevalence/.