For his Eagle Scout project, Florida SouthWestern Collegiate High School student Matthew Saba polled fellow Scouts ages 10 to 18 to see what the biggest substance abuse problem is today.

Southwest Florida Boy Scouts of all ages said vaping was the biggest concern right now, Saba said at the recent annual meeting of Thrive Lee, formerly the Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida. 

"We had kids in middle school, in high school, dual enrollment students, students in the ACE program, IB program, it didn’t matter. Overwhelmingly, it was always vaping," he said.

So the 17-year-old enlisted a scriptwriter, actors and an editor and made a short film about the short-term effects of vaping. He said that plenty of cautions exist about long-term effects, but not short-term, like tension and anxiety, expense, and isolation from non-vaping friends.

He has plans to continue showing the film.

"So from here on, Deb Comella, who is the representative that was working with me on the project, [is] going to be able to use the film to present it at future coalition events and anywhere she wants," Saba said. "And then on top of that, I'm hoping that there can be more events … where I can come out, speak about the film, and just have more impact for it because a lot of work went into it from all kinds of different volunteers."

Thrive Lee is a community organization dedicated to reducing substance abuse in Lee County. Founded in 1989 by local leaders, including Jim Nathan and Sheriff Mike Scott, the coalition focuses on mobilizing various community sectors—such as youth, parents, and law enforcement—to combat substance abuse through education and prevention initiatives.

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