Partner Spotlight: Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui

The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i (CTFH) interviewed Iokepa “Kepa” Na‘ole of Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui to gain insights into their efforts to reduce tobacco use among youth on Maui. 

CTFH: Aloha Kepa, thank you for agreeing to a short interview. Please tell us about your role at Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui. 

Iokepa Na‘ole: I have been the Program Services Coordinator at Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui for three years as of January 1, 2026. I have been working with youth since 1992 as a teacher, outrigger paddling coach, and mentor. 

Can you describe the vaping prevention education work Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui is doing now? How long has the organization been doing this work?

Vaping prevention education has long been part of our Smart Moves programming as part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui’s promotion of healthy lifestyles. First implemented in 2023, the Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit has provided us with a research-based curriculum where each of our clubhouses is able to educate its members on the health, social, and environmental issues involved in the use and disposal of vaping products.

How would you describe the impact that the vaping prevention work is having on the youth in your programs? Do you find the youth are engaged in the material?

As a follow-up activity to the ‘You and Me, Together Vape Free’ lessons, our members were allowed to express their opinions on the issues through the creation of paper or digital posters discouraging use or advocating for the creation of laws prohibiting the sale of flavored nicotine products. Our members have also been very vocal in spreading the message to their peers outside of the clubhouse environment.

How would you describe the youth participants’ attitudes and knowledge levels about vaping and other tobacco product use when they first join the program? Do you see any changes in their beliefs and attitudes regarding tobacco products once you start working with them?

It seems that many of our youth, before learning the truth about vaping and tobacco products, have become victims of the corporate sales and marketing campaigns specifically created to attract youth to their products. Many youth who claim to have never used a combustible or non-combustible product were under the impression that a non-combustible vape product is “completely harmless” to their physical and mental health. For this reason, they say they would opt for the use of a vape device over cigarettes. Once the lessons began, there has been an increase in the awareness of potential harm to teens’ bodies and development. 

What would you say are some of the reasons why youth you work with might start using tobacco products?

For our younger members, the temptation to experiment with a tobacco product could come from curiosity. They may have an adult or adolescent family member openly using a tobacco product. An unattended tobacco product could provide the opportunity to try the product. For our older members, there may be the need for social acceptance, peer pressure, or the perception that the product will help them work longer or improve focus on their homework.

Any success stories you wish to share about how this work has impacted youth and/or families in your program?

In 2023, before we began implementing the Stanford curriculum, one of our staff spotted a 7-year-old walking by our clubhouse openly using an e-cigarette which he had taken from his mother. The staff member engaged with the child and extended the invitation to join the club. Months later, the child came to the club to ask for membership paperwork and had become a member. Since then, our staff has maintained constant communication with the child’s mother. Her awareness of her son’s previous experimentation with the product has raised her own sense of awareness and her vigilance.

Mahalo Kepa for taking the time to sit down for this interview. Keep up the great work!!