FDA launches “Next Legend” e-cigarette prevention campaign for American indigenous youth

Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the launch of a youth e-cigarette prevention campaign aimed at Native American and Alaskan Native youth, called the “Next Legends” Youth E-cigarette Prevention Campaign. The campaign will educate these indigenous populations, aged 12-17, about the harms of vaping through native centered and tailored messaging on digital video advertisements placed on sites such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch. Additionally, the FDA will use billboards, radio, and Alaskan TV to spread their prevention message.^1,2

The advertisements will feature Native American and Alaskan Native community members and focus on the negative health and addictive consequence risk of using tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. It will also contain language conveying the dangerous mix of chemicals and metals found in tobacco products and how vaping can negatively affect important aspects of community life.

Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System reported that there are approximately 400,000 Native teens in the United States. Of that number, more than half are at risk of using tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, and demonstrate disproportionally high experimentation and use.³

The surveillance system also indicated that “[Native American and Alaskan Native] youth are more likely to use e-cigarettes and almost twice as likely to be frequent users of e-cigarettes than high school students overall; 47.3% of [Native American and Alaskan Native] high school students reported past 30-day use of ‘electronic vapor products’ including e-cigarettes compared to 32.7% of high school students overall; and 19.9% of [Native American and Alaskan Native] high school students reported using electronic vapor products frequently (on 20 or more days in the last 30 days) compared to 10.7% of high school students overall,” according to the FDA press release announcing the campaign.

The FDA noted that the administration consulted with indigenous community members and other experts in Native culture, media, and public health research in order to develop effective messaging to reach Native youth.

References:

1. FDA launches campaign aimed at preventing e-cigarette use among American Indian/Alaska Native youth. US Food and Drug Administration. Press release. Published June 8, 2022. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-launches-campaign-aimed-preventing-e-cigarette-use-among-american-indianalaska-native-youth?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
2. Next Legends. The Real Cost: Be Tobacco Free. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://therealcost.betobaccofree.hhs.gov/nextlegends
3. Youth risk behavior surveillance system overview. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/overview.htm