A new Louisville youth-led initiative is challenging the idea that vaping and e-cigarette use is just a normal part of growing up.
Louder Than Smoke, by Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness, is empowering teens across Greater Louisville to speak openly about the pressures of vaping and encouraging them to choose healthier futures. Developed alongside C2 Strategic Communications, informed by Jefferson County middle and high school students and in collaboration with Western Kentucky University’s student-led design agency, Imagewest, the campaign is rooted in authentic and relatable lived experiences.
The Goal
If youth are vaping, we want them to stop. If they’re not, we want them never to start.
A Growing Public Health Concern
While awareness around the risks of vaping has increased in recent years, Kentucky teens vape at higher rates than the national average. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, about 1 in 5 Kentucky high school students use e-cigarettes or vape products (compared to 1 in 10 nationally), and 50% of teens who try to quit are not successful on their first attempt, as reported by the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention Survey.
Meeting Students Where They Are
Rather than relying on lectures or scare tactics, Louder Than Smoke focuses on peer influence, creativity and honest conversations. Through social media, short-form video, school partnerships and community outreach, the campaign encourages teens to think critically about how vape products are marketed and how nicotine addiction can impact their focus, mental health, athletics, personal relationships and overall well-being.
The campaign also recognizes that prevention and cessation support are not one-size-fits-all. Messaging for middle school students focuses on preventing early experimentation, while messaging for high school students provides practical, stigma-free support for those looking to quit vaping.
At the center of Louder Than Smoke is the belief that young people should help shape the culture around them, not simply react to it.
Youth, parents, educators and advocates may learn more at LouderThanSmoke.com.
