April 23rd, 2020
Wendy Cummings, a registered nurse and chair of LowCountry Alliance for Healthy Youth (LCAHY), delivered a message on the risks of vaping and smoking during the COVID-19 Pandemic via a video on Facebook. Her message was clear that research shows that smoking or vaping marijuana or nicotine increases an individual’s risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 as it attacks the lungs. The chair also acknowledged that the uncertainty of COVID-19 and psychological responses to isolation and stress may lead to anxiety, depression, and drug and/or alcohol use. She urged the community to educate the youth early and often about these risks. This communication is part of LCAHY’s larger and continuing public health social marketing campaign. The public health awareness campaign stresses the importance of all sectors of the community sending clear and consistent messages to the youth and being part of the solution. The LowCountry Alliance for Healthy Youth is a recipient of the Drug-Free Communities Grant Program awarded by the Office of White House and Drug Control Policy (ONCP) and administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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