#iCANendthetrend, Authentic Youth Engagement to Support Tobacco Prevention and Policy Advocacy

#iCANendthetrend, Authentic Youth Engagement to Support Tobacco Prevention and Policy Advocacy Abstract The current tobacco landscape in Kentucky presents a great risk to the health of its citizens, and the extent to which tobacco sales are regulated by state enforcement agencies is insufficient to combat such risk. A lack of measures to hold accountable those retailers participating in the underage sale of tobacco products, as well as a grossing e-cigarette epidemic among Kentucky youth, presents a particular danger to public health and the health of future generations of Kentuckians. Given the ever presence of this danger, #iCANendthetrend of the University of Kentucky, in coordination with several state partners, proposes an authentically youth-led policy advocacy campaign as a movement to support tobacco retail licensing in the state of Kentucky and to increase tobacco prevention resources in a state of great need. The proposed project will engage dedicated youth leaders to advocate for policy action, and to unite and empower statewide youth and their communities to reduce the burden of tobacco use and disease in Kentucky.