Students at North Marion High School were recognized by district officials for a new anti-vaping video that stresses the longterm risks associated with the deadly habit.
This week, Marion County Public Schools announced the winners of its Fitness and Nutrition in Schools (FANS) Anti-Vaping Contest.
The contest asked students to create a video, public service announcement (PSA), or commercial on the “dangers of teenage vaping and/or smoking.”
According to the district, North Marion High School students won the long-form video contest, Dunnellon Middle School students won the short video clip contest, and a student from Forest High School claimed the hashtag and T-shirt contest.
North Marion High School’s video was produced by Esperance Hans, who made headlines earlier this year for being one of only 161 students who were named Presidential Scholars. The video was edited by Reese Courtright and the voiceover was provided by Mackenzie Goad.
In the video, Goad talks about dreams that most students have of leading successful lives, and how the chances of that happening get “lower and lower” with each additional “hit you take” from an e-cigarette.
The video weighs the “true cost” of vaping by presenting statistics about a variety of health-related issues caused by the addiction.
Teenage vaping has increased “over 1,800% over the last year,” and although the effects aren’t always immediately obvious, “42% of vapers who want to quit report health concerns,” according to the video. It goes on to cite lung disease, asthma, shortness of breath, infertility, and even pregnancy complications as potential side effects of vaping.
“Don’t make your mistakes today that will affect your future family tomorrow,” says Goad in the video.
Watch the full North Marion High Anti-Vape Video online.
In the video created by Dunnellon Middle School students, superhero “Buff Dude,” played by Malachi Murry, interrupts two students (Karl Guiteau and Tucker Gomes) who are smoking in a bathroom to drop information and statistics on the harms of vaping.
Buff Dude cites chemicals in vapes that are also found in rat poison and weed killer, before flushing the vape down the toilet. That video was filmed by Joseph Reyes and Matthew Sanders did the audio.
The winner of the Anti-Vaping shirt design was Mohan Sharma, whose hashtag was “No Stress when you’re #vapeless.”
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