By Marsha Mitchell, Senior Director of Communications
Community Coalition (CoCo) and the South LA Movement (SLAM) Prevention Coalition recently hosted “Emerging Leaders Rise & Remix Youth Summit 2025 at CoCo’s headquarters. Youth leaders who model positive transformations and stay drug-free presented this annual prevention activation space, welcoming everyone and enabling our youth to learn positive coping tools to abstain from drug use.
The day’s event featured a vibrant college resource fair, an engaging panel discussion, lively food, and music that brought the community together. Panelists included Catherine Sanchez, Kyle Maddox, Student Government President at West Los Angeles College, and Giodan Williams, President of the Hope & Healing Wellness Foundation. The event was planned by the South Los Angeles Movement (S.L.A.M.) Prevention Coalition partners:
- Avalon Carver
- SCPC (South Central Prevention Coalition)
- Special Services for Groups
- PCS—Peoples Coordinated Services
- Watts Health Center
Individually and collectively, the partners offer prevention education, outreach, and resources that inform and help reduce the underage trafficking and use of marijuana, tobacco, alcohol, and prescription drugs.
Youth drug use is a significant public health challenge that impacts individuals, families, and entire communities. The lack of resources, high crime rates, and economic disparity present in South LA, coupled with the oversaturation of smoke shops and dispensaries, suggest the need for more robust systemic responses focusing on community social empowerment and justice, resource/service integration, health equity policies, and school partnerships.
Some smoke shops promote the use of e-cigarettes, which is harmful to health, especially to teens. E-cigarettes are a type of vape, and the aerosol they produce is toxic. Most e-cigarettes and vape products contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug.
Why Are Teens the Target?
* Flavors sell: Over 85% of teen vapers use flavored products like candy, mint, or fruit.
* Social media influence: E-cigarette companies market using influencers, trendy packaging, and youth-oriented messaging.
* Emotional targeting: Ads portray vaping as a way to cope with stress, fit in, or be “cool.”
These are intentional strategies to hook teens early, much like Big Tobacco’s tactics in the past. (Source: Truth Initiative, 2022; NIH, 2023)
Did You Know?
* 2.1 million U.S. teens vaped in 2023.
* Nicotine harms brain growth in teens, especially areas tied to memory, learning, and decision-making.
* (Source: CDC, 2023; Truth Initiative)
Youth who abuse drugs are likely to experience negative consequences such as a decline in academic performance, the formation of mental health issues, engaging in reckless conduct, and developing an addiction. In addition to these consequences, substance use during adolescence poses exceptional risks to brain growth and increases dependence in later adulthood. SLAM’s annual youth summit centers on promoting dialogue and planning substance abuse prevention strategies grounded in community-mentored, action-focused mental and physical health frameworks to prevent substance abuse among youth, which is imperative for both their physical and psychological health.
Vaping and Mental Health: A Dangerous Cycle:
* Teens who vape are 2X more likely to show signs of depression.
* Nicotine worsens anxiety and impairs mood regulation.
* Many teens vape to “feel better”—but it actually fuels a cycle of addiction and emotional distress.
* Adolescent brains are still developing. Nicotine use can damage attention span, learning, and impulse control.(Source: truthinitiative.org, psychiatry.org, CDC)