Brenna Bastin, a senior at New Palestine High School, recently spoke about providing teens resources to prevent vaping at a Statehouse event.
Submitted photo
INDIANAPOLIS – Vaping has become an epidemic among youth, states a local teen who recently advocated at the Indiana Statehouse for teens to live a tobacco-free lifestyle.
Brenna Bastin, a senior at New Palestine High School, was selected to be a youth public health advocate for a Jan. 26 Public Health Day event at the Statehouse.
Bastin said she was ecstatic about the life-changing opportunity, and beyond grateful to speak alongside Gov. Eric Holcomb and others.
“I’ve seen firsthand how this epidemic has affected my peers; I watch as they struggle to complete everyday tasks without taking a ‘vape break,’” Bastin said afterward. “This has absolutely sparked my passion for advocacy, I’m a people person, but if my people are hurting, then it isn’t the same.”
Brenna Bastin is the daughter of Brandee Bastin, tobacco initiative coordinator for Hancock Health and the Hancock County Tobacco Free Coalition. Brenna has become an advocate as well, through her leadership roles as a statewide and local Voice Tobacco-Free Youth Ambassador; a DARE Role Model; a Neighborhoods Against Substance Abuse Youth Council member; and as a 13-year Girl Scout who is now pursuing her Gold Award.
She said she was nervous about speaking in front of hundreds of people, including elected officials.
“Once I got on the stage I realized that this was my chance to finally express the pressing issues within my generation and my love for advocacy,” she said.
The event included a lineup of speakers discussing efforts underway to improve access to core public health services, as well as a panel discussion focused on the state of public health. In addition to Bastin and Holcomb, speakers included State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box; former state Sen. Luke Kenley; and Congresswoman Susan Brooks.
Bastin said she has seen how hard her peers are struggling with addiction, and communities need to realize that addiction doesn’t know race, gender, grade point average, sexuality, income or religion.
“We cannot expect teens to quit on their own,” she said afterward. “We have to provide them with resources to encourage them to live a tobacco-free lifestyle.”
Bastin plans on attending the University of Indianapolis and study public health, on her path to eventually earn a doctorate degree in occupational therapy.
