Creating
CHANGE For All…
West Hawai‘i Students Learn About Advocacy & Policy Change If the reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more, the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute is ready to do just that.
The former Coalition for a TobaccoFree Hawai‘i, which was remarkably successful in reducing tobacco use, is viewed across the nation as a model of smoking-cessation efforts. Now, the renamed “HiPhi” is aiming “ Our goal is to to curb vaping and sugary eliminate disparities so drinks, and increase exercise, everybody has equal access, among high school and we can make Hawai‘i the students in West Hawai‘i. healthiest state in the nation.” And their secret weapon? The students themselves.
And for always
Jessica Yamauchi
“We’ve created an effective counter marketing campaign against those ads that promote vaping,” says Jessica Yamauchi, HiPhi’s Executive Director. “The basic strategy behind our ‘808 No Vape’ campaign is students developing messaging to influence other students. All ads, videos etc. are created by young people in high schools across Hawai‘i. For example, the ‘Breathe Aloha’ murals
Executive Director of the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute
nicotine. Will they switch to cigarettes? And what are the long-term health dangers of vaping? To win the battle for students’ health, HiPhi is committed to building partnerships, educating stakeholders, influencing policy and pursuing other time-honored tactics. Creating capacity in West Photo courtesy of HiPhi Hawai‘i is a challenge, but a FLEX grant from HiPhi Youth Council includes students from West Hawai‘i the West Hawai‘i Fund of the Hawai‘i Community encourage students to write personal Foundation helps. affirmations – right on the mural!” “West Hawai‘i is enormous and diverse, with many communities, so the FLEX Yamauchi points out, although grant is extremely helpful for us to travel smoking rates have dropped among to these different places and provide high school students, vaping rates equal access to all,” says Yamauchi. in Hawai‘i are much higher than the “As a statewide nonprofit, we want to national average, and even higher on the Neighbor Islands – 34% in Hawai‘i County. include everyone in events held on O‘ahu. These funds allow us to provide travel Experimentation with vaping is nearly scholarships for projects and trainings 50%. She worries about young people, that will bring out the leadership with bright futures, who experiment potential in Hawai‘i students.” with vaping and become addicted to
Todays’ students are tomorrow’s leaders. Through its youth council, HiPhi is teaching younger members of the West Hawai‘i community how to advocate for policy change on health issues and how to get involved in the civic engagement process. “I know Hawai‘i is recognized for being healthy, but there are significant disparities,” says Yamauchi. “Our goal is to eliminate disparities, so everybody has equal access, and we can make Hawai‘i the healthiest state in the nation.”
DID YOU KNOW: Over the past 3 years more than $16M in grants have supported Hawai‘i Island communities and nonprofit programs.
Learn how to transform your generosity into lasting change at HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org