Young anti-smoking advocates are asking to keep them away from tobacco and nicotine products.

That was the message they delivered by more than 100 kids from around the state to lawmakers on Frankfort on Thursday.

They say there was a youth nicotine crisis in the state and statistics support it.

The high school tobacco use rate in the state is at 22%, according to the American Lung Association.

One in four high school seniors and one in five sophomores reported using vape products in the past year.

Of those who used a one in four said they bought the products at a convenience store, supermarket, gas station or vape shop.

Reasons Youth advocates are calling for stronger enforcement of the state's tobacco 21 law that prevents them from buying nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and vapes.

We're here today just really to bring awareness about the T 21 law, which is tobacco 21.

And so that's the law that's prohibiting the sale of nicotine or tobacco to people who are under the age of 21.

We're the ones who are being affected by this coming in to our school system and messing up our generation's future.

Kentucky is one of about ten states that does not have a comprehensive program to enforce tobacco 21 laws.

I come from a really small community, so education about tobacco is not always apparent.

And so sometimes people have misconceptions.

Like I've heard that it's just like flavored air.

And of course, it's not that it's so much deeper than that.

It has like nicotine, chemicals, formaldehyde, things of the sort.

There was an instance in our school where actually a kid had to go to the hospital from using Vape so much.

It is known that he had a collapsed lung and had to go to the hospital for that.

So we've had that instance.

We've also had situations in which kids overdose.

They have things that get less, have them sold by people who shouldn't be selling them.

Raise your hand if you have friends who are under 21 who vape.

Everybody look around.

That's major.

I know there's house bills that have been filed to really tighten down and to clamp down on this, to go after retail federations that are selling some of these to very young adults that don't need to have this in their possession.

Schools are doing their best to monitor and to tackle the issue, but sometimes it takes state law to really enforce that type of legislation.

You and your friends are being targeted by big tobacco companies, so you will become lifelong customers.

What is the root cause of all these premature deaths?

It's the youth in our society who's misinformed about the true health implications of tobacco products, especially products like weights and e-cigarette.

This highlights the crucial need for an early nicotine use prevention program in Kentucky by enforcing strict measures, educating our youth and holding those who perpetrate the youth nicotine patches accountable, We are the future of better, brighter smoke free future for our upcoming generation.

Advocates also want to see a statewide tobacco retail licensing law.

They say, requiring stores that sell tobacco and nicotine products to get and keep a license will provide better oversight and ensure age restrictions on sales are being enforced.