SAEV (Students Against Electronic Vaping) started at Davis High back in 2015. Then SBO President, Kade Hyde wanted to introduce the program to help increase awareness of electronic vaping across the school and across Utah.

“The main purpose of SAEV is to go to elementaries and junior highs and basically educate the kids there about what electronic vaping is and the dangers of it so that they can make educated choices for themselves when they can get to high school,” SAEV President Ashley Coles said.

In its beginning, SAEV was also used as a medium to collect support for the new bill that helped to protect minors from electronic vaping. Hyde also carried a strong desire to not only protect students but provide alternatives to vaping.

“It’s also to help provide other opportunities and resources and different things to do other than vaping,” SAEV member Mary Page said.

In 2015, 10.5% of students reported as being regular users of these products. Since then the number of students has had a slow but gradual decrease.

“My goal for SAEV is to go to… partner with the DARE program… so that we can help them out with activities and educate the kids and not be boring,” Coles said.

SAEV started small but has grown into a national program; but that has not stopped Coles from having bigger goals. With the torch passed, a new era of SAEV is on the rise.