Taking a Stand: How YAHL Empowers Teens to Fight Unhealthy Habits by Kaydence M.
Hello! My name is Kaydence, and I’m from Lula, Oklahoma. YAHL (Youth Action for Health Leadership) is a program where we discuss how unhealthy foods and activities affect everyday life. In YAHL, we learn what’s unhealthy, how to avoid harmful habits and how they impact us in the long run. It’s an amazing program where you can encourage and help others overcome unhealthy habits. Sometimes, you might even need encouragement from peers, family or fellow YAHL members. One of the best parts of YAHL is how fun it is to learn new things that help us live healthier lives.
Two unhealthy trends I’ve noticed in my generation are smoking and vaping. These are major problems among teens in Oklahoma. Smoking leads to dangerous habits, false hope and lung cancer, which is fatal. Lung cancer, shortness of breath and even heart attacks are caused by smoking, and unfortunately, many teens suffer the consequences. Many young people don’t realize how serious it is until it’s too late.
Vaping is just as dangerous. When you vape, you inhale metal and harmful chemicals directly into your lungs. That’s metal in your lungs! Over time, vaping causes infections, lung disease and even cancer. Many teens start vaping because they’re anxious, overwhelmed or influenced by family and friends who do it.
YAHL members work together to help kids, teens and adults break free from unhealthy habits and make better choices. We do this by organizing stress-free activities that help people manage stress in healthier ways, offering words of encouragement to inspire positive change, and building trust through team exercises that create a strong support system. As a YAHL member, I truly believe this program can help you. Even if you don’t struggle with these issues yourself, you can still join to support others and be part of something bigger.
I’ve shared some of the biggest health challenges teens face today, and I hope to see these numbers go down. If we work together, we can help teens across Oklahoma and even in other states overcome these addictions and create a healthier future. YAHL members are coming together for this cause, and I encourage you to join us. Together, we can make a real difference and help those around us live healthier, happier lives.
