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Public health educator cites declines in youth tobacco use and presents county poster-contest winners
Summary
Warren County public health educator Katie Boyle reported declines in youth tobacco and vaping use from 2022 to 2024, highlighted prevention work across county schools, and presented poster-contest awards to students from multiple schools.
Katie Boyle, Warren County public health educator, told the board on June 18 that the 2024 New York youth tobacco survey shows overall youth tobacco product use at 17 percent — the lowest rate since statewide measurement began in 2000 — and that e-cigarette (vaping) use fell to 13.1 percent from 18.7 percent in 2022. She said cigarette smoking remains low at 2.4 percent.
Boyle described local prevention efforts, including countywide materials distributed to all high schools, digital PSA placements at the Aviation Mall, outreach through the Civic Center, and displays at youth centers and libraries. She said the county currently has 94 registered tobacco and vape retailers and emphasized nicotine’s addictive effects on adolescent brains.
Following the presentation, Boyle and contest organizers distributed certificates and recognized first-place and other winners from participating schools across Warren County, naming countywide winners and multiple school-level first-place recipients.
Why it matters: County public-health outreach and school-based prevention programming are part of local efforts to reduce youth initiation of tobacco and nicotine products. The educator tied statewide survey results to local programming and asked for continued board support and funding for prevention and education.
The board recessed briefly after the presentation to allow attendees and children to leave if they chose.
