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A sea of green t-shirts greeted the Dare County Board of Commissioners Monday, March 2.

Some 21 Peer Power students sat in several rows of the commissioners meeting room, waiting patiently to present a proclamation about teenage tobacco use and a Take Down Tobacco Day.

While traditional cigarette use among teens has been on a downward trend, tobacco use is up.

In 2018, youth e-cigarette use increased 78%. The National Youth Tobacco Use Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 3.6 million youth under the age of 18 had used an e-cigarette in the last 30 days.

The proclamation presented by the Peer Power students sets March 18 as Take Down Tobacco Day in Dare County. It was passed unanimously by Dare commissioners.

Peer Power is a health education program. High school students are trained as health educators to influence elementary and middle school student health behaviors for the better. It is a collaboration between Dare County Health and Dare County Schools.

Peer Power students attending Monday’s Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting were:

Cape Hatteras Secondary School students Ireland Raines, Maddy Midgett, Simon Wilson, Amber Harrell and Evan Augustson;

First Flight High School students Emily Byrum, Virginia Godley, Logan Grizzard, Kate McCarter, Fiona McKenna, Reagan Minnich, Madison Pugh and Grace Topping;

Manteo High School students Dionna Peterson, Emma Ortega, Darcy Kampe, Quinn Vanischak, Brinley Tillett, Finley Billstone, Kylie Simmons and Dorian Rotchford.

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