In 2022, our local health department did a presentation about the wild success of anti-smoking campaigns in the high schools. They just couldn't pat themselves on the back hard enough.

My favorite thing was the interaction between the health department and a local principal, it went something like this:

Health Department representative reading off of a slide: "fewer than 5% of teens reported they had tried a tobacco product last year, with fewer than 1% indicating they had smoked a cigarette. We attribute this to the DARE and Too Good for Drugs campaigns as well as constant outreach from the DoH."

Principal: "we had to install vape detectors in every bathroom stall and then re-install them and hide them when the kids bashed them. We think that about 3/4 of the graduating class vapes."

Health Department: blank stares

There is what seems to be a willful ignorance about this in many professional circles. It's very strange to me.

Pay no attention to the left hand, they are one and the same. Owned by the same megacorp. Altria. Tobacco is bad so let’s drive it down and show what a wonderful job we did responding to congress’ accusations we targeted kids to get them addicted for life. Also Altria, let’s sue Juul and hostile takeover and market vaping to children with fruity flavors of candy and mint.