Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:08] And welcome back to Just say Something podcast. I'm Philip Clark, and I'm glad to have you with us today as we approach World no Tobacco Day. I've been thinking a lot about how we talk about tobacco and more importantly, how we don't talk about it.
[00:00:28] This is one of those topics that, for a lot of people, feels like it belongs to another era.
[00:00:33] There's a sense that this is an issue we've already addressed, something that peaked years ago when cigarette use was at the center of our conversations.
[00:00:45] It can feel like old news, but the reality is we haven't solved this problem.
[00:00:51] We've just changed the way it shows up.
[00:00:55] And that's where I think we're still getting it wrong.
[00:00:59] For many adults, the image of tobacco use is still tied to what they grew up seeing. The cigarettes smoke, the smell, the visible health consequences. Over time, those images were powerful, and public health campaigns did a lot to shift behavior.
[00:01:19] But what we're dealing with today doesn't look like that anymore, especially when it comes to young people.
[00:01:27] Now it's vapes. It's sleek devices that are easy to hide and even easier to normalize.
[00:01:35] It's flavors that sound more like something you'd order at a coffee shop than something associated with nicotine.
[00:01:43] Its packaging is it's very modern, clean, and far removed from the warning signs people used to see own cigarette boxes.
[00:01:56] But it looks different, it often feels different. And because it feels different, it doesn't always rise rise to the same level of concern.
[00:02:08] This disconnect is part of the problem.
[00:02:11] I've had conversations with parents and community members who genuinely believe that vaping is a lesser issue are at least not as urgent as what previous generations faced.
[00:02:24] There's often a sense of relief. Well, at least they're not smoking. And while that reaction is understandable, it misses a critical piece of what's really happening.
[00:02:36] Nicotine hasn't gone anywhere. In many cases, it's more concentrated, more accessible, and more appealing than ever before.
[00:02:45] And for young people whose brains are still developing, that matters in a very real way. We're seeing early exposure, faster dependency, and a range of effects that go beyond what people traditionally associate with tobacco use.
[00:03:02] It increases anxiety, mood changes, difficulty in focusing.
[00:03:10] And these are abstract risk. They're showing up in real time.
[00:03:16] What's especially concerning is how quietly this shift has happened.
[00:03:22] It hasn't come with the same kind of public awareness campaigns or cultural pushback that we saw in the past.
[00:03:29] Instead, it's been normalized in ways that aren't subtle but powerful.
[00:03:35] When something is easy to hide, easy to access, and easy to dismiss, it becomes much harder to address.
[00:03:45] And that brings us to another place where we're getting it wrong.
[00:03:49] We tend to assume that young people are making these choices fully informed that they understand the risk and are choosing to ignore them.
[00:04:00] But in many cases, that's not what's happening.
[00:04:05] What we see repeatedly is that these decisions are often driven by something much more human.
[00:04:13] Stress, curiosity, the desire to fit in.
[00:04:18] The pressure to navigate social environments where these behaviors are more common than adults realize.
[00:04:26] When you combine these factors with products that are specifically designed to feel harmless, it creates a situation where the line between experimentation and dependency gets blurred very quickly.
[00:04:42] And while all of this is happening, the conversation we need to be having aren't happening nearly enough.
[00:04:51] It's not that people don't care.
[00:04:53] It's that they're unusual, unsure of how to engage.
[00:04:59] There's a fear of saying the wrong thing or pushing too hard or not having all the answers.
[00:05:06] So instead the topic gets avoided or reduced to a quick warning that doesn't really go anywhere.
[00:05:14] But if there's one thing we've learned through this work, it's that silence doesn't protect young people.
[00:05:21] It leaves spaces for other voices to step in.
[00:05:26] Voices that are often coming from marketing, from peers, or from misinformation.
[00:05:33] What does make a difference is conversations.
[00:05:37] Not a one time sit down lecture, but an ongoing, honest dialogue that creates space for questions and curiosity.
[00:05:47] That kind of communication doesn't happen by accident.
[00:05:51] It takes intention and it takes a willingness to listen just as much as it takes a willingness to speak.
[00:06:00] Instead of leading with assumptions, it can start with something as simple as asking what your young people are seeing in their environment.
[00:06:09] What's showing up in their schools?
[00:06:12] What are their peers saying about it?
[00:06:14] What do they think the risk are or aren't?
[00:06:18] Those kind of questions don't shut conversation down.
[00:06:22] They open them up.
[00:06:24] And when young people feel like they can speak honestly without immediately facing judgment or consequences, that's where trust begins to build.
[00:06:35] And trust is what gives these conversations influence.
[00:06:41] This isn't just a responsibility for parents either.
[00:06:45] It's something that extends across entire communities.
[00:06:48] Schools, organizations, local leaders, and community partners all play a role in shaping what's normalized and what isn't.
[00:06:59] When we take a consistent, unified approach to prevention and education, it becomes much easier to create environments with healthier choices are supported at. Just say something. That's what we're focused on every day. It's not just about sharing information.
[00:07:18] It's about creating spaces where people feel comfortable having the conversations that matter.
[00:07:25] It's about meeting young people where they are, not where we assume they should be.
[00:07:31] And it's about equipping adults with the tools and confidence to engage. And even when the topic feels complicated.
[00:07:41] Because prevention isn't something that happens through a single message or a single moment. It's something that builds over time through consistent efforts and connection.
[00:07:53] As we think about World no Tobacco Day this year, I don't think the goal should be to simply raise awareness. I think it's to challenge ourselves to look a little closer and at what's changed and whether our approach has changed with it.
[00:08:11] If we're still responding to today's realities with yesterday's assumptions, we're going to miss the mark.
[00:08:20] So maybe the takeaway is this.
[00:08:23] Start where you are and start a conversation.
[00:08:27] It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be planned out.
[00:08:32] It just has to be real.
[00:08:34] Because when we show up and engage, we give young people something that marketing never will a trusted voice, a safe space, and a reason to think twice.
[00:08:50] Thanks for being part of this conversation and for the role you play in your own community.
[00:08:56] It matters more than you think.
[00:08:59] And as always, just say something that ends another podcast. And so I appreciate you being here with us today.
[00:09:10] Be sure to like, share, subscribe, prescribe and or subscribe and comment.
[00:09:20] And I look forward to seeing you next time. Until then, stay safe.
