Breathe Aloha Mural Tour to Kick-Off on Maui

Breathe Aloha event flyer.

A large-scale statewide mural campaign aimed at educating Hawaiʻi’s youth of the negative impact of vaping and e-cigarette smoking kicks off this week on Maui.

808NOVAPE, a project of the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute and the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaiʻi, along with Keep It Flowing LLC, a multimedia design and awareness through art organization, have partnered for the next few months to design, create and execute the project.

Organizers say youth vaping has been declared a “major public health concern” by the Surgeon General as well as an “epidemic” by the Food and Drug Administration.

Additionally local research shows more than 25% of Hawaiʻi’s high school youth are vaping/smoking e-cigarettes and 42% admit they’ve tried it.

The impact of the various misconceptions surrounding vaping as “less harmful,” when compared to smoking cigarettes, has resulted in a new, trendy and perceived as “cool” activity, when in fact these products have been proven to be dangerous for children, organizers said.

The Breathe Aloha Mural Tour will result in colorful murals painted on Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu. The community driven murals will include raising awareness about the health effects of vaping and using e-cigarettes, while showcasing positive messages for the community, beautification of local school campuses and lasting artwork meant to encourage and enlighten Hawaiʻi students to live vape-free lifestyles.

Participating schools include:

• Baldwin High School: Oct. 31(painting begins) to Nov. 5 (mural unveiling)
• Kealakehe High School: Nov. 6 (painting begins) to Nov. 16 (mural unveiling)
• Farrington High School: Nov. 23 (painting begins) to Nov. 26 (mural unveiling)

Proclamations of recognition from respective island mayors will also be presented on the mural unveiling dates, along with representatives from the state.