K. Ahrens- PSA Project
Storyboard Text
- EXPOSITION
- KELLY
- “Hey Megan, my older sister just got me this vape. It tastes really good- like watermelon! Do you want to try it?”
- MEGAN
- CONFLICT
- “No thanks Kelly, today in English we were researching credible websites and I saw so many statistics about vaping causing health problems later in life due to the choices we make now. I don’t want to be a part of those statistics.”
- RISING ACTION
- "Ok whatever, your lame, you aren't gonna get lung disease, just try it!"
- **You're
- Within the past few years, vaping has become an epidemic among teenagers in the United States. Vapes are relatively new on the market altogether which is why there is a lack of education on the facts of vapes as opposed to traditional cigarettes. Many teens fall victim to trying vaping due to the fruity flavors masking the taste of nicotine. Because of the lack of information and the tasty flavors, many teens fall victim to experimenting with vapes- unaware that it is highly addictive.
- CLIMAX
- "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
- Oftentimes teenagers fall victim to vaping due to peer pressure. According to the Surgeon General, “Among young adults 18-24 years of age, e-cigarette use more than doubled from 2013 to 2014. As of 2014, more than one-third of young adults had tried e-cigarettes. ” (“E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults”). Imagine you are in the doctor’s office and your doctor tells you that you have irreversible lung disease due to something extremely preventable. Don’t be a part of the statistics.
- FALLING ACTION
- “I guess you are right- I should get rid of my vape and stop. It really isn’t worth it.”
- “I’m glad you came to your senses. Many people our age don’t think that the habits they form now will carry into adulthood- but my aunt started smoking cigarettes when she was 16 like us and now she is 45 with emphysema and wishes she could stop. She misses out on many fun times with her friends and family because she has trouble breathing- which her doctors say is directly related to smoking.”
- Teenagers are often offered their first hit of a vape by someone they thought they could trust. It is easy to fall victim to peer pressure as an adolescent in efforts to fit in with a new social group. However, the individuals who offer the vape do not think that such a seemingly small habit now can carry into adulthood. The Director of Research for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at Johns Hopkins Medicine said, “What I find most concerning about the rise of vaping is that people who would’ve never smoked otherwise, especially youth, are taking up the habit.” (Blaha).
- RESOLUTION / CALL TO ACTION
- “Stand up to peer pressure and don’t pick up the vape!”
- Even though vaping seems like the cool thing to do as a teenager, vapes and e-cigarettes are just as addictive as traditional cigarettes. Dr. Blaha says, “A recent study found that most people who intended to use e-cigarettes to kick the nicotine habit ended up continuing to smoke both traditional and e-cigarettes.” Vaping is a slippery slope that is not worth the price tag of appeasing a so-called “friend” who peer pressures you.
- According to the CDC, “ Cigarette smoking kills more than 480,000 Americans each year” (“2014 Surgeon General’s Report: The Health Consequences of Smoking”) If vapes are just as addictive as traditional cigarettes- and more than one third of the 18-24 year old young adult population has tried vaping in 2014, the death toll of smoking is statistically going to dramatically rise. Adults at the age of forty-five should be living their best life with friends and family, and enjoy every day- not stuck at home due to an easily preventable disease.
- In a nutshell, vaping is not cool. Statistics from highly-regarded institutions backed by clinical researchers and unfortunate personal accounts all point towards ditching the vapes. Stand up to the peer-pressure today, share the facts, urge them to throw away the vape, and live a healthier lifestyle because in the end, you can’t turn back the clock! Be a MEGAN in a world of KELLYS!
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