Meridian in Michigan and the Centene Institute for Advanced Health Education™ Launch Youth Impact Award for Vaping Prevention

DETROIT, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Meridian in Michigan and the Centene Institute for Advanced Health Education™ are pleased to announce the Centene Institute Youth Impact Award for Vaping Prevention, a curriculum and contest for adolescents ages 14 through 19 to raise awareness about vaping, e-cigarette use and prevention. Students will learn about the dangers of vaping and take action by developing and submitting a 30 to 60-second Public Service Announcement (PSA) video. The contest is accepting submissions through April 16, 2021. Winners will be announced in early summer of 2021.

"Nationally, and in Michigan, vaping and e-cigarette use has dramatically increased among middle school and high school students," said Sean Kendall, president and CEO at Meridian. "The Youth Impact Award for Vaping Prevention will help empower students to share the dangers of vaping and become a part of the solution."

In December 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared youth e-cigarette use a public health epidemic, and reported that e-cigarette use among U.S. middle and high school students increased 900% between 2011 and 2018. In addition, 2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration showed that more than 5 million U.S. youth, including over one in four high school students and about one in 10 middle school students, used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.

"At Meridian, we are excited about the potential positive impact this program will have on our youth and communities across Michigan," Kendall said. "We welcome entries from young Michiganders and look forward to their creative work."

All submissions are eligible for up to 10 hours of community service and prizes are available for the top submissions. For more information on the Centene Institute Youth Impact Award for Vaping Prevention, please visit https://www.centeneinstituteaward.com/vapingprevention.

About Meridian
Meridian in Michigan provides government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors, and individuals with complex medical needs primarily through Medicaid (MeridianHealth), Medicare Advantage (WellCare), Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MeridianComplete), Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (WellCare), and the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter from Meridian). Meridian is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. For more information about Meridian, please visit www.mhplan.com.

About the Centene Institute for Advanced Health
Supported by Centene's foundational focus on whole health, the Centene Institute for Advanced Health Education provides health education for youth and young adults, all with the goal of driving early health literacy and preventive care.  Additional focus of the Centene Institute is the development and implementation of accessible, interprofessional continuing education as empowering, research-informed educational activities that improve quality of care, performance of the healthcare team and health outcomes.

SOURCE Meridian

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