Giving Back | written by: PAMELA DEY VOSSLER | photo by: BAMBI RIEGEL | riegelpictureworks.com
Anti-Vaping Campaign members, posters in hand, at Garden Catering in Heights Crossing (from left): Findley Ernst, Lauren Erdlen, Lia Mastellone and Chase Maniscalco. Not pictured: Kate Knightly
VAPING IS BAD, worse than you might have imagined and a group of five Darien High School (DHS) students are determined to make sure everyone knows it through a series of posters they created to display at a range of businesses in town. Their target: everyone, but especially their peers and the parents of those peers.
“They need to know all the long-term effects on their health,” said DHS junior Chase Maniscalco, one of the five.
“They need to understand the dangers of it and how there are real consequences,” agreed senior Findley Ernst, another member of the group.
It’s a campaign the group chose last fall as the youth representatives of Thriving Youth Darien, a coalition with members from more than 35 organizations in town, led by Program Director Sarah McCarty. Funded by a federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Grant, Thriving Youth Darien works to promote and empower positive youth development with the ultimate goal of reducing teen substance use. The Community Fund of Darien serves as Thriving Youth Darien’s fiscal agent for grants supporting prevention work.
Informed by the Darien Youth Survey, which Thriving Youth Darien conducts every other year in partnership with the Darien Public Schools, initiatives include educational workshops for teens and adults, parent speaker series and special projects like the anti-vaping campaign.
100% Youth-Driven
“Our youth representatives identified vaping as an issue they wanted to address, did the research to fully understand vaping, designed the posters and built relationships with local businesses to bring the campaign to life,” explained Sarah who oversees the Thriving Youth Darien youth representatives as well as the coalition.
“The youth representatives took this project really seriously,” added Thriving Youth Darien Co-Chair Brandi Maniscalco.
“We decided that vaping was one of the most influential yet misunderstood issues affecting teens today,” said group member and DHS sophomore Lauren Erdlen. “When we reflected on our health classes starting in middle school, we realized that while vaping was discussed, we were never fully taught how dangerous it truly is. That lack of clear information and education motivated us to focus our energy on raising awareness and making sure our peers understand the real risks involved in vaping today.”
“Even though people often say vaping is bad, many teens think they won’t personally be affected, that they’re somehow ‘immune,’” observed group member Kate Knightly, a sophomore at DHS. “This project really stood out to me because the effects of vaping are real, and it’s important for teens to understand that and get help before it’s too late.”
“I think a lot of teens see other people their age doing it or are around peers that vape so they think it’s okay for them to try it as well,” said group member Lia Mastellone, a senior at DHS. “However, vaping isn’t harmless, even though it’s really common,” she continued.
What they learned appalled them.
“I didn’t realize how many chemicals vapes contain or how much nicotine is in them, and how addictive they can be. Some chemicals that surprised me the most were lead, acetone and rodenticides which are commonly found in rat poison,” shared Lia. “Vapes can affect your physical health and your mental health, and those effects aren’t always obvious right away.”
“I was incredibly surprised by the ingredients found in many vaping products,” echoed Lauren. “A lot of these chemicals are extremely dangerous when inhaled and can cause serious damage to the lungs and overall health. Many contain addictive substances and toxic chemicals that can negatively impact brain development as well as many other bodily functions. Learning this made me realize that vaping is far more dangerous than it is often perceived to be, especially by teens.”
“Parents and other adults need to understand that vaping affects more than just physical health, it also impacts mental health, including anxiety, stress and focus,” added Lia. “They should also know how common vaping is among teens and be familiar with alternatives to help quit.”
The posters include a QR code that leads to information on the effects of vaping and sources to help quit.
Strong Town Support
Among the businesses and organizations that agreed to display the posters are:
• Darien Library
• YMCA
• The Depot
• Vavala’s Deli
• Uncle’s Deli
• Height’s Pizza
• Gofer’s
• Raphaël’s Bakery
• Garden Catering
• Saint Luke’s Parish
• Bareburger
• Palmer’s Market
Our Youth in Action
“It has been incredibly powerful to be the adult in the room who gets to amplify youth voices rather than direct them,” said Sarah. “Our young people in Darien have so much passion and drive, and this campaign is a perfect example of what happens when they’re given the space to turn that energy into action,” she continued.
“Thriving Youth actually listens to youth perspectives and allows students to help shape meaningful change in the community,” said Lia.
To learn more about the campaign or Thriving Youth Darien, visit communityfunddarien.org/tyd-vaping-resources, and be sure to post, like, share and/or repost photos of the campaign posters you may see around town or online.
