Press Release
The US surgeon general first declared youth vaping an epidemic in 2018, and three years later, efforts to end youth e-cigarette use are far from over. Charlene has been selected to serve as a Teen Ambassador with the statewide youth movement Say What! to educate Jefferson and communities across Texas on the targeted marketing from the tobacco industry as well as the dangers of vaping, secondhand smoke, cigarettes, and other tobacco and nicotine products.
Charlene Moore, a junior from Jefferson High School, has been an advocate for tobacco prevention for the past three years. “I wanted to be able to impact other youth across Texas in the same way past Teen Ambassadors impacted me when I first attended a SayWhat! event. I felt obligated to do my part to try and protect today’s youth,” said Charlene.
Say What! stands for Students, Adults and Youth Working Hard Against Tobacco, and is a statewide program that works on tobacco prevention with youth and adult partners all across the state. Charlene will not only represent the Say What! program by leading virtual and in-person activism events and a statewide conference, but more importantly, she will take action locally to make Jefferson safer from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine.
Charlene first got involved in tobacco prevention because, “I saw my friend’s and family’s health and lives be affected by tobacco on a daily basis. Once I discovered that I could actually advocate and protect others from being tricked by Big Tobacco companies, I knew I had to take that next step.” She believes that more youth should get involved in tobacco prevention because, “Today’s youth is Big Tobacco’s main target. We have to stand up for ourselves and our futures.” Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S., and because of youth advocates like Charlene working to make positive change in our community, she hopes to save lives today and in the future.
The Say What! program is managed by the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX, and is funded through a contract with the Texas Department of State Health Services. For more information, visit TxSayWhat.com or @TxSayWhat on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.