Hawaiʻi youth rally at capitol urging action on disposable e-cigarettes

More than 80 youth advocates gathered at the state capitol for an annual youth rally to “Take Down Tobacco” on Wednesday. Students from Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island, along with community advocates, urged lawmakers to take action to end the youth vaping epidemic. 

Students rallied around two bills: HB 2121 and SB 2175, which would end the sale of disposable e-cigarettes in the state. In particular, disposable e-cigarettes have created a dual crisis of severe environmental pollution and public health risks. 

Designed for addiction, disposable e-cigarettes contain high levels of nicotine, increasing the risk of dependence, especially among youth. Sales of disposable electronic devices grew by 500% between 2019 and 2023, making them the most common type of device among young people.

“I was struck by how systematically [Big Tobacco] companies target Native Hawaiian youth, using sweet, enticing flavors to mask the reality of addiction. At that moment, the abstract concept of advocacy became a personal mission,” said Maya Butts, a freshman at Kalaheo High School. “I realized that if our generation is the target, we must also be the ones leading the change for stricter state-level regulations.”

Disposable e-cigarettes also contribute to growing waste: an estimated 5.7 devices are discarded every second in the US, totaling more than 150 million each year. Many contain lithium-ion batteries, heavy metals like lead and nickel, and toxic nicotine, which can leach into ecosystems. 

“Youth have so much more power than they realise, and it’s important we use our experiences and our power to make the well-needed change,” said Iwalani Jones, a Junior at Kahemehameha Kapālama from Hawai‘i Island. “By participating in Take Down Tobacco Day, I hope to show the community that there are kids from all over this state, of all ages, who want a better future for the people of Hawaiʻi.”