Pediatricians across the country are finding creative ways to engage their patients and their families around the importance of voting.
As part of its Get Out the Vote campaign, the AAP has partnered with the nonprofit, nonpartisan voter registration effort Vot-ER. This partnership provides tools to help physicians safely encourage their patients to register to vote, using options like a badge backer with a QR code and phone backgrounds.
Several AAP members were featured in a takeover on the Academy's social media accounts, highlighting how they use these tools and educate others about the importance of civic engagement.
Visit http://www.AAP.org/VoteKids to learn more about the AAP's Get Out the Vote campaign and how to get involved.
8 ways you can help get out the vote today
1) Have a plan to cast your ballot on or before Election Day.
2) Know your state's voting requirements and deadlines. Vote.org has more.
3) Share messages about the importance of voting with children's needs in mind using the hashtag #VoteKids.
4) Download the AAP's customizable graphics at https://bit.ly/3lR7Zi5 to tell your followers that you plan to #VoteKids because their futures depend on it.
5) Encourage patients who are old enough to vote to make sure they are registered and have a plan to cast their ballot.
6) Read about key child health issues this election and their health equity connections at https://bit.ly/2EPx4JJ.
7) Look for opportunities to attend virtual town halls and ask candidates where they stand on key child health issues. Find potential questions to ask at https://bit.ly/2EPx4JJ.
8) Consider writing an op-ed in your local newspaper about a child health issue important to your community and why you plan to vote like children's futures depend on it.
E-cigarette regulation efforts reach key milestone
Early September marked an important milestone in the Academy's efforts to protect children from e-cigarette products through strong federal regulation.
As of Sept. 9, any e-cigarette product that has not submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considered illegal and is subject to immediate federal enforcement action to remove the product from the market.
“With the September 9 deadline, the FDA has yet another opportunity to reverse the current epidemic of youth e-cigarette use and stop tobacco companies from addicting a new generation of kids with e-cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products,” the AAP and other health groups said in a press statement. “The FDA must protect kids and public health, not the interests of the tobacco industry.”
The FDA will have one year to review applications for products that met the September deadline and determine whether each product is appropriate for the protection of public health. After the one-year period, only products that have been found by the FDA to meet that public health standard can stay on the market.
The Academy's message to the FDA remains clear: E-cigarettes are dangerous to children's health. They are highly addictive and their flavors appeal to youths. The AAP maintains that flavored products cannot meet the public health standard because of their attractiveness to youths. E-cigarettes must be strongly regulated to protect children from nicotine addiction.
