GEORGETOWN, Del. – An anti-tobacco event hosted by Bayhealth saw more than 600 student participants at Georgetown Middle School on April 17.
Led by Respiratory Therapy Navigator Elizabeth A. Hurley, RRT, AE-C, the event aimed to combat youth vaping and address health education gaps in Sussex County’s Hispanic community.
David Carter, principal of Georgetown Middle School, and Jordan Carter, American Lung Association attended the April anti-tobacco event. (Bayhealth).
“Getting certified in health literacy opened my eyes to how language barriers are keeping families in the dark about the dangers of tobacco,” said Hurley in a press release. “We needed to reach kids directly with honest, culturally relevant information.”
During the school event, the hospital partnered with the American Lung Association, the Delaware COPD Coalition and the Delaware Kick Butts Generation. The initiative included an assembly featuring motivational rap artist and health educator, Sterlen Barr.
According to Bayhealth, plans are in the works for a follow-up event in September aimed at educating parents in both English and Spanish. Officials say they hope to involve representatives from the Delaware Quit Line and Spanish-speaking medical professionals at the next event.