Student PSA Project: Spring 2023
Tobacco & e-Cigarettes Reality Check: Quit for LIFE
It's an unfortunate fact, nearly every organ in the body is harmed by smoking and tobacco. About one-third (or 30%) of cancers could be prevented if people did not use tobacco products or breathe secondhand smoke.
Our cessation program does not endorse use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vaping) as an alternative to conventional cigarettes or as an aid to quitting other tobacco products. E-cigarettes/vaping are not evidence-based methods for quitting smoking or reducing dependence on nicotine.
E-cigarettes do not emit "harmless water vapor". The secondhand aerosol contains nicotine, ultra-fine particles (that lodge deep into the lungs), and low levels of chemical and metal toxins (known to cause cancer); these include:
- Propylene glycol
- Formaldehyde
- Cadmium
- Lead
- Nickel
The nicotine in e-cigarettes is especially harmful to the developing brains of young people. Pregnant women must avoid e-cigarettes because it is also a significant health risk to a developing baby's brain. In addition, e-cigarettes and vaping can cause airway irritation, asthma, and impaired lung function.
Award Winners
Harmonic Convergence
Video PSA producers, Emily Hogue and Jasmine Walker, selected a black and white format to shrewdly portray the urgency to quit vaping now. Background music, varied camera angles, and intense and strategically orchestrated sound effects enhance the suspenseful mood and story line. Ultimately, the technicality, storytelling, and informational aspects of the PSA are well integrated and build to the final scene. The PSA reinforces the idea that “There is Only One Escape” from nicotine and harms delivered by e-cigarettes, and that is to quit!
Best Message
Cynthia Baruch-Rosas, Makenzy Veldboom, and Julianna McGahee, the three producers of this 30 second video Public Service Announcement (PSA), “Don’t Miss Out”, highlight multiple scenarios when coughing and ill health caused by smoking tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, interferes with important life events. One feature of the Best Message / Best Representation of the Theme Award category includes conveying accurate information about harms caused by tobacco use in order to persuade someone to quit smoking or using electronic cigarettes. Humor also helped get the no tobacco message across. The producers cleverly inserted black and white special effects when referring to dangers and inconveniences caused by tobacco use.