Little Rock, Ark. – Be Well Arkansas, a program of the Arkansas Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Branch has created and launched the new Coral’s Reef campaign to reach younger Arkansans with tobacco and nicotine prevention messaging.

This campaign is the only one of its kind available in the U.S. ADH staff consulted with experts and researched interests for children in the 5-7 years age group to create balanced and engaging materials. The goal is to reach children with prevention and educational information at an early age to prevent initiation into tobacco and nicotine use as they get older.

According to data analysis on the initiation of electronic cigarette use among youth in the U.S., e-cigarette smoking can begin as young as 7 years of age. In Arkansas, the percentage of high school students who use e-cigarettes is now more than double the percentage of high school students who smoke. With e-cigarette usage becoming more frequent among younger children, the need for effective prevention messaging for young Arkansans has become crucial.

The Coral’s Reef campaign will feature a series of animated videos, each tailored to address the dangers of tobacco and nicotine use. In addition to the videos, free printable materials are available for download from the Be Well website to accompany the videos. Currently, the first episode of the campaign is available to watch on the Be Well Arkansas website.

To learn more about the Coral’s Reef campaign and other youth education efforts, visit bewellarkansas.org and click the Youth Education tab.

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