Take Down Tobacco Day at the Capitol

Wednesday March 15th 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (Honolulu)*

This is our biggest event of the year! Youth Council members and other interested youth come together to  advocate for bills to end the sale of flavored tobacco products and regulate e-cigarettes the same as other tobacco products.Youth Council members will lead training sessions on the policy priorities, how a bill becomes a law and hold mock meetings with lawmakers.  There will be a march to the Capitol, a rally, and sign-waving.  This is  followed by small group meetings with lawmakers. Don’t miss this opportunity to talk directly with lawmakers about these important issues and share what you are seeing in your community and what you would like to see them do about it. Register today!

What youth who participated are saying:

“I learned how even young citizens can make a difference in our community.”

“I felt the most valuable thing I did today was meeting with legislators because I think it was fun and it helped me improve my speaking skills.  They were really excited to hear our opinions about ending the sales of flavored tobacco.”

“No matter what age you are, you can always make a difference. Legislators are not as scary as some others make them seem. They are excited to hear from us.”

“The most valuable thing I learned today was how a bill is passed or not, and how to speak with legislators in formal meetings”

Youth Council Kickoff

Saturday August 20th 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (Honolulu) *

Meet fellow Youth Council members from across the state, learn more about how you can get involved, improve your presentation skills, and have fun! We will have a special guest, Daniel Ament, join us via Zoom. Daniel underwent the world’s first double lung transplant at 16, due to a vaping related illness in 2019. Hear his story and how he has dedicated his life to educating people about the dangers of vaping and abuse of other substances. Register today! 

Recommend: Completion of the Taking Down Tobacco 101 course at https://www.takingdowntobacco.org/

What youth who participated are saying:

“Getting to know my fellow YC members and helping them become more confident in their presenting skills.”

“The ice breakers because I met a lot of cool people and got to socialize.”

“Meeting people from other schools that feel the same way about anti-tobacco as me.”

Awareness Building Workshop and Team Building

Saturday November 5th 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (Honolulu) *

Join us for some fun team-building activities and a workshop on building awareness around the Youth Council’s policy priority to end the sale of flavored tobacco products and regulate e-cigarettes the same as other tobacco products. Registration information will be posted in August.

What youth who participated are saying:

“The whole event was fun and focused. My favorite part was the integration of islands because I got to know the other high school students.”

“Both the activity and being able to work with a group on strategies for our own island.”

“Participating in the small group key message sharing.”

Policy and Testimony Writing Workshop

Saturday January 7th, 9AM – 3PM, Downtown Honolulu

Learn more about how a bill becomes a law and how to craft testimony in support of the Youth Council’s Policy priorities. Hear from lawmakers directly about the importance of the youth voice in decision-making at the state level. Click here to register online. 

What youth who participated are saying:

“My favorite part of the day was learning more about the policy we want to focus on and learning about how this policy has been successful in other places in the U.S.”

“This is student voice driven and youth facilitated, youth are making a difference in Hawaiʻi and it is making news on the mainland.”

“I liked making friends that want to better society.”