LCAHY/THY Environmental Scan • 10/2019

October 2019

Teens for Healthy Youth (THY) members of Bluffton High School, Hilton Head Christian Academy, and Hilton Head Island High School conducted environmental scans of Hilton Head Island. The team completed surveys at thirty business establishments that sell tobacco, alcohol, e-cigarettes and related paraphernalia. The participants collected data on alcohol, tobacco, and e-cigarette advertisements, as well as anti-smoking and “We Card” signage located on the outside of these businesses. Participants examined the inside of the establishments and collected data on where the products where sold in the store, how easily clerks could see the products, and the types of advertisements displayed in the stores. They also looked for signage about health risks from use, abuse prevention, and minimum age for purchasing. Following the scan, the teens debriefed on the data collected. They noted that only one establishment had a machine that checked for fake IDs. They also agreed that the “We Card Signs” were small and hard to find, when compared to Marlboro and other cigarette or alcohol advertisements. The youth would like to see more signage on the risks of use of the harmful products posted in these establishments. There were also discussions that much of the messages regarding e-cigarettes and JUULS come to the teens on their personal social media accounts such at Instagram and Snap Chat. The teens would like to see more anti-JUULING and vaping campaigns on social media. The teens plan to attend the LCAHY board meeting to share their findings. They plan to use the data to help them develop a plan to prevent youth access to these items.

Search for: