In a rather quirky spot filled with talking animals, Truth Initiative is speaking out against Juul and other e-cigarette manufacturers for driving the vaping craze among young people.
The Tested on Humans campaign, created by 72andSunny, sheds light on the fact that the long-term effects of e-cigarettes are unknown, which means Juul and its peers are exposing youth to potential health risks, as well as nicotine addiction.
To get this message across, the nonprofit tobacco-control organization enlisted the help of Doug the Pug and other animals, which are protesting Juul and urging e-cigarette companies to stop treating humans like “lab rats.”
According to Truth, e-cigarette use has increased 78% among high-school students in the last year. Even more startling, research showed an increase in middle schoolers using e-cigarettes, with use among these children up 48% from 2017 to 2018.
The U.S. surgeon general also declared last year that youth e-cigarette use is officially an epidemic.
The new Truth content aired on TV during the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards on Monday night.
Truth is asking people to stay involved in the protest against Juul and other e-cigarette companies by sharing photos of their pets using Truth Instagram stickers and the hashtag #DontTestOnHumans. Those who post photos are eligible to win free human testing merchandise from the nonprofit.
This story first appeared on campaignlive.com.
