>> ALL RIGHT. SO IT IS DAY
NUMBER I JUST WOKE UP AND THE
FIRST THING THEY DID WAS GO TO
GRAB SWITCH. USUALLY SITS
RIGHT ABOUT THERE.
>> WAS THAT THIS MORNING?
THAT'S PARKER. HE'S A COLLEGE
STUDENT, A GAMER AND HAS BEEN
NICOTINE FREE FOR ABOUT 5
MONTHS PARKER STARTED VAPING
WHILE HE WAS A FRESHMAN IN
HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE A BUNCH OF
HIS FRIENDS WERE DOING IT BACK
THEN HE WOULD TURN TO VAPING
TO RELIEVE HIS ANXIETY. BUT
NOW BELIEVES THE HABIT WAS
MAKING HIS ANXIETY WORSE. WHAT
MADE YOU START TO REALIZE THAT
CONNECTION THERE WERE TIMES
WHERE I DIDN'T GO OUT AND I
WOULD LIKE YOU NEED TO HAVE
GREAT DAY WITH AT ALL TIMES.
WHENEVER I GET ANXIOUS HATE IT
WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE IT SIMPLIFY
THE EFFECTS OF MY ANXIETY AND
MY STRESS. WHEN YOU LOOK BACK
NOW.
>> AT HOW YOU WERE FEELING
WHEN YOU ARE VAPING. HOW
STRONG IS THE CONNECTION
BETWEEN YOUR VAPE PEN AND
ANXIETY EXTREMELY STRONG I
THINK THAT MOST TIMES WHERE I
HAD LEFT MASS AMOUNT OF
ANXIETY OR PANIC. IT WAS
ALWAYS CORRELATE. THE FACT
THAT I HAD WITH AS YOU GET THE
TRUTH INITIATIVE, A NONPROFIT
WORKING TO COMBAT TOBACCO USE
NICOTINE ADDICTION IS HELPING
PARKER SHARE HIS STORY.
>> AS PART OF THEIR ONGOING
EFFORT TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE
QUIT A SURVEY BY THE
ORGANIZATION FOUND THAT 81% OF
PEOPLE START VAPING TO
DECREASE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION
OR STRESS. BUT SOME EXPERTS
SAY.
>> IT DOES. THE OPPOSITE
PEOPLE WHO HAVE A TENDENCY TO
HAVE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
INCREASED STRESS ANXIETY
DEPRESSION ARE MORE LIKELY TO
VAPE. BUT THEY PING ALSO
WORSENS MENTAL HEALTH
SYMPTOMS, PARTICULARLY OF
STRESS ANXIETY AND SOMETIMES
DEPRESSION AS MUCH. AND HERE'S
THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT.
INITIALLY, YOU GET THIS
PRODUCED A DOPE MEAN INTO YOUR
BRAIN THAT REALLY TRICKS
PEOPLE INTO THINKING, OH,
YEAH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S
GOOD. I DEFINITELY FEELS GOOD.
BUT OVER TIME, WHAT HAPPENS IS
YOUR BODY CREATES MORE
NICOTINE RECEPTORS IN THE
PLEASURE CENTER OF THE BRAIN
MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU TO
REDUCE STRESS THROUGH ANY
OTHER MEANS THEN TO TAKE
ANOTHER HIT OF THIS PRODUCT.
THAT'S WHY DOCTOR, WHEN A COP
SAYS VAPING IS SO DANGEROUS.
>> BUT THERE IS A SILVER
LINING. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO IT
ACTUALLY CREATES A REALLY
POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH PICTURE
I WHICH IS WHY CESSATION
PROGRAMS ARE JUST SO IMPORTANT
BECAUSE THERE'S NO THERE'S
NOTHING ABOUT THIS THAT TRAPS
YOU FOREVER. ALISSA BOUGHT A
LOTTO QUIT VAPING ABOUT A YEAR
AGO AND HASN'T LOOKED BACK.
>> NICE. IT IS THAT ABLE TO
HAVE CLEAR THOUGHTS JUST
OVERALL. I FEEL ONE MYSELF AND
I FEEL BETTER. WHAT WOULD YOU
SAY TO SOMEONE WHO IS THERE
RIGHT NOW WHO THINKS THAT THEY
THING IS ACTUALLY HELPING
THEIR MENTAL HEALTH I WOULD
THEM STRAIGHT IN THE FACE AND
SAY THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT,
TOO. BUT IT'S NOT THE TRUTH.
SO IF YOU HAVE THAT EVEN
LITTLE BIT OF YOURSELF THAT
WANTS TO QUIT ONCE YOU GET
OVER YOU'RE ALREADY THERE.
THAT'S ALL IT TAKES. AND YOU
JUST HAVE TO PUT SOME DRY
BEHIND AND YOU'LL SEE THE
POSITIVE OUTCOMES THAT WILL
COME INTO YOUR LIFE.
>> LET'S BRING IN ROBIN COVE
AL. SHE'S THE CEO AND
PRESIDENT OF TRUTH INITIATIVE.
THAT'S AMERICA'S LARGEST
NONPROFIT PUBLIC HEALTH
ORGANIZATION DEDICATING TO
MAKING TOBACCO USE AND
NICOTINE ADDICTION. A THING OF
THE PAST. ROBIN, GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. A
LESSON PARKER WHO WE JUST
HEARD FROM IN THAT PIECE. THEY
BOTH USED THE TRUTH CAMPAIGNS
ANONYMOUS TEXTING PROGRAM TO
HELP THEM QUIT. BUT I THINK
IT'S IMPORTANT WORD ANONYMOUS.
OF THE REAL IMPORTANT QUESTION
FOR SOMEBODY WHO IS WATCHING
WHO WANTS TO QUIT OR WANTS TO
HELP A YOUNG LIFE QUIT, BUT HE
TELL THEM.
>> WELL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME
HERE. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD
TELL THEM TO DO WITH THESE
OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE DEAD AND 2
TECHS TO 2 THAT 88 7 '09,
WHICH IS I THIS IS QUITTING
PROGRAM. IT IS A TEXT MESSAGE
PROGRAM. WE DO IT ON YOUR
PHONE. IT'S ANONYMOUS. YOUR
PARENTS DON'T HAVE TO KNOW
YOUR TEACHERS DON'T HAVE TO
KNOW YOUR FRIENDS DON'T EVEN
HAVE TO KNOW. OVER 425,000
YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE ENROLLED IN
THIS PROGRAM. WE KNOW THAT IT
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S BECAUSE
IT'S DEVELOPED. OBVIOUSLY BY
EXPERTS WHO HOW TO HELP PEOPLE
QUIT, BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE
DEVELOPED IT WITH OTHER YOUNG
PEOPLE. SO IT FEELS CURED
APPEAR I'M HONEST AND YOU
HEARD FROM THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE.
IT REALLY, REALLY WORKS.
>> ABSOLUTELY. NOW ON MONDAY.
TRUTH INITIATIVE IS LAUNCHING
A NEW CAMPAIGN CALLED THE
BREATH OF STRESS AIR. FIRST,
WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
NEW AD, THIS NEW CAMPAIGN.
THIS IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST
TIME IT'S AIRING ANYWHERE. WE GO.
GO. >> AND WHEN THERE IS THIS
>> AND WHEN THERE IS THIS
>> HEAR A LOUD.
>> NOW. YOU SHOULD FEEL MUCH
WORSE.
>> VAPING NICOTINE CAN
ACTUALLY INCREASE FEELINGS OF
STRESS AND ANXIETY. LET'S CALL
A VAPE WHAT IT IS. IT'S A
BREATH OF STRESS AIR SEE FOR
YOURSELF FOR THE STRESS AIR
DOT COM.
>> ROBIN, TELL US ABOUT THE
GOAL OF THIS CAMPAIGN AND ITS
IMPORTANCE IN REACHING YOUNG
PEOPLE PARKER FOUND THE TRUTH
INITIATIVE IN THAT PIECE BY
SEEING AN AD LIKE THIS. WALK
US THROUGH WHAT YOUR GOAL IS
HERE.
>> WELL, OUR GOAL HERE IS WE
REALLY WANT TO DO 2 THINGS
RIGHT. WE WANT TO THE
NORMALIZE. THEY BANG AND WE
ALSO WANT TO NORMALIZE
QUITTING AND WITH EFFORT
DISTRESS AIR IS TRYING TO DO
IS REALLY BUILDING WHAT WE
CALL IT'S MESSING WITH OUR
HEADS PLATFORM WHERE WE
INTRODUCE THE IDEA THAT YOU
KNOW, THEY REALLY SHOULD BE
CALLED DEPRESSION STICK
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THESE
PRODUCTS DO, RIGHT. THEY
AMPLIFY FEELINGS, DEPRESSION
AND ANXIETY. EVERY TIME YOU
TAKE A HIT ON A BABY. YOU ARE
LITERALLY TAKING A BREATH OF
STRESS THERE. AND YOU KNOW,
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FACT
BECAUSE MOST YOUNG PEOPLE
THINK BECAUSE THAT TOBACCO AND
VAPING INDUSTRY HAS WORKED
VERY HARD TO COMMUNICATE THIS
THAT YOU KNOW, THEY REDUCES
FEELINGS OF ANXIETY THAT MAKE
THAT TAKES YOUR STRESS AWAY
AND THAT'S EXACTLY THE
OPPOSITE INSTEAD OF BEING A
STRESS RELIEVER IT'S REALLY
STRESS AMPLIFIER.
>> ROBIN KOVAL, THANK YOU SO
MUCH. SUCH IMPORTANT INFO
THERE, ESPECIALLY AS THE FDA
HAS DONE ALL THAT MUCH ABOUT
THIS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US. AND CONGRATS ON THE NEW
CAMPAIGN.
>> THANKS SO MUCH. IT'S BEEN 2