school presentations on vaping

Know the Risks: A Guide to E-cigarettes Presentations

The resources on this page are intended for adults who educate or serve youth ages 11 – 18 (teachers, youth ministers, coaches, scout leaders, etc.). Utilizing the talking points and information for users document, the presenter does not require additional information, nor permission to deliver the presentation.

Know the Risks: A Youth Guide to E-cigarettes

• Presentation [PPTX – 11 MB]
• Information for Users [PDF – 117 KB]
• Talking Points [PDF – 2 MB]

CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) developed this presentation to educate youth on e-cigarettes, including the health risks, the factors that lead to e-cigarette use, and what youth can do to avoid all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

CDC expects that users of this slide set will adhere to the following standards:

• Not modify the content contained within individual slides.
• Not imply or state, either in written or oral form, that any slides added to this slide set from other sources reflect official CDC policies or positions.

By using this slide set you signify your understanding of the above-stated terms.

Know the Risks: A Parent’s Guide to E-Cigarettes and Youth

• Presentation [PPT – 11MB]
• Information for Users [PDF – 137KB]
• Talking Points [PDF – 2MB]

CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) developed this presentation to educate parents on youth e-cigarette use, including the health risks, the factors that lead to e-cigarette use, and what parents can do to help youth avoid all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Related Materials

Resources to Help Students Reject Vaping

Conversation Card for Educators:

Fact Sheet for Educators

Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers

Fact Sheet for Parents

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Educating Youth On The Dangers Of Drugs

#1 School Educator Internationally on Vaping & Fentanyl

We’ve presented to 11,500 schools and over 15 MILLION Students in all 50 states in the US and Over 1 Million Students across the globe.

OUR MISSION:

To steer youth straight toward making sound, rational decisions through a learning experience that provides a message of reality to help them make positive, informed choices.

Our Speaker/ Presenter Team

Michael DeLeon

Crystal Vallee

Detective Rich Wistocki

Cyber Safety Training Presentations Training for Students (2-12), Parents and Faculty

Teen Portal

Resources for Teens

Drug Education School Presentations

#1 Booked School Prevention Program in America

Parent Portal

Parents Coaching Corner with Jheri South

Steered Straight: Help Us Save Lives

Give our youth the facts they need to live healthy, productive lives.

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Steered Straight School Assemblies

Vaping Me Crazy

#1 Requested School Assembly in America

Is vaping safe?

Negative Effects of Vaping Trends. Bottom line—the use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens and young adults.

“Thank you so much for coming to our school and speaking about drug abuse and vapes and what it can do to young kids. After that I’m never gonna touch a vape ever again now that I understand what I’m putting into my body. Do you know how many students quit nicotine since u came? It’s crazy! Some of the most addicted people in our SCHOOL quit and stuck with it because of you!  U have helped so many people. You made me rethink things before it got bad and you helped a lot of us quit. I don’t know if words can describe how thankful we are that you came and shared your story!!! U saved a lot of students. It’s sad but it truly has turned many people’s lives around. You lived it and u turned it around and so many people wanna be like you!”

Fentanyl Awareness – One Pill Can Kill

“Fake & Fatal” – the Truth About Fentanyl Heroin’s synthetic cousin is one of the deadliest drugs in the world.

Unfortunately, the rate of fatal teen overdoses is on a steep upward trend with fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s important that students, teachers, school administrators, parents and community officials get a thorough fentanyl education so they know more about it and how to handle its effects.

Our in-depth presentation teaches students how the epidemic started, how it’s getting worse and how they can stop it, as well as the evolution from opioids to heroin. They are provided with methods on how to avoid involvement and prevent it from affecting them personally so they are able to make good decisions and right choices.

We also offer the only fentanyl curriculum available.  It’s time to find out with good fentanyl instruction so we can stop lining the pockets of drug cartels and drug dealers with no concern for its effects on our youth!

Stay In Your Lane!

Unique lessons on how Choices & Decisions can affect the rest of your life.

Our premier all-encompassing student assembly to help students learn the importance of making healthy life choices.

This presentation incorporates the important topics of:

• Drug and alcohol abuse awareness
• Dating violence
• Gangs and gang violence as they relate to choices and decisions.

Presenters with real life stories help students understand the importance of making healthy life choices!

Be the HERO of Your Story

Empowers students to take control of their destinies. Starting with the idea that each person is the protagonist in the grand epic of their lives, the program encourages students to wear the cape of their own life.

The main goals include fostering resilience, self-discovery, and understanding personal strengths and weaknesses. By embracing uniqueness and facing challenges as opportunities for character development. The program aims to guide students on a transformative quest to become the hero of their own narritive. Promoting purpose and growth in their stories.

Other School Assemblies

“weed between the lines”.

The Truth About Marijuana Open student’s eyes on the misconceptions of marijuana and the harmful effects.

“ Break the Silence ”

Bullying Prevention Program Help students recognize and correctly manage bullying.

“ Alternatives to Violence ”

How to Deal With Aggressive Behavior

Why Steered Straight?

When you book a day with Steered Straight, you get so much more than just a talk about drugs.

Right after school, we provide a one to two hour Staff Professional Development and a two-hour Parent/Community Academy that same evening.

Our Founder

Through his personal journey with addiction, Michael DeLeon found his passion: to educate today’s youth to stay on the right path when it comes to serious life issues, especially drugs . He is the #1 booked school presenter in the country.

Upon his release from prison in 2007, Michael founded Steered Straight, Inc., a non-profit organization designed to carry an important message to youth on the extreme dangers of drugs, gang involvement and associated criminal activity.

Michael’s message resonates with students, teachers and parents, giving them down-to-earth direction on how to deal with making positive choices regarding real life issues.

Michael is the National Director of Youth Outreach and School Programs for Victoria’s Voice Foundation. He has collaborated with VVF to bring specific prevention education to more than 1 million students in the past 2 years including Naloxone Education through the Get, Give, Save Campaign and Stay In Your Lane!, the collaborative continuing education curriculum used in schools in more than 40 states.

Book Michael or another of our inspiring speakers for your school presentation today!

Table Talks

Making Parents the most important influence in their child’s life!

It starts with one conversation a day. Talk with your kids, not at them!

More than 365 three-minute conversations to deepen your parent-child connection and give your child a true perspective regarding drugs and alcohol, relationships, goal setting, defining who they are and who they want to become in life.

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child

At Steered Straight, our goal is to create a strong village in each community we touch by delivering our message and educating parents, teachers, school administrators and staff, police officers, churches and other community groups who have a vested interest in seeing that youth today grow up to be strong, healthy and responsible citizens.

Go to Programs to see how we are building villages across America!

What Educators Are Saying…

“Michael has a wonderfully powerful message to give, and the kids respond to him well. He is captivating and very “real”, and the kids just soak up the information he puts out.”

– Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office

“The Steered Straight presentation sent a out a non-filtered message that is needed to reach some of our most challenging students. It was a honor to be selected as a sponsored school and to have your program at our school touching lives.” – Cypress Run Education Center

Steered Straight – Impacting Today’s Youth

In this era of addictions, overdoes and drug poisonings, the message is vital…but so is the messenger.  Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. The messenger must be believed for the message to get through.

Steered Straight, Michael DeLeon and our Recovery Army of speakers do this effectively and powerfully, which is why audiences say they have never been impacted on these issues like seen through the Steered Straight program.

Steered Straight is the #1 Booked School Prevention Program in America plus video

Steered Straight delivers the very best in Primary Prevention plus video

As Seen On:

Comprehensive Vaping Education

Vape free. breathe free., don’t let covid-19 derail plans for vaping education., online webinar series..

In-person Presentations

Vaping presents a serious threat to the health of our youth and young adults, with heightened concerns due to possible increased exposure to COVID-19 risks among vapers and smokers. It is therefore more important than ever to educate students, parents and staff about the risks associated with vaping and nicotine. CIC’s comprehensive vaping education program covers short and long-term risks, the impact of vaping on the adolescent brain, marketing strategies targeting youth, changing government policies, and a review of quit resources. The presentation can be delivered to students, parent groups, or faculty and staff, including:

• An in-person PowerPoint presentation that can be tailored to audiences of different ages.
• An interactive vaping display that provides opportunities for one-on-one discussions. They can be set up during lunch hours at school, at parents’ events and at health fairs.

Staff training

Focuses on the latest usage trends among youth, new government policies, new devices, signs and symptoms, the most convincing prevention messaging, how to incorporate vaping information into subjects in the classroom, possible home projects, and the importance of quitting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

School nurses

With an emphasis on signs and symptoms, this webinar tells you what to look for when kids present with vaping-related complaints, about quit resources and the role of nicotine replacement therapy.

Coaches and teams

This discusses special considerations for athletes, and the impact on performance and motivation.

New devices, means of obtaining, signs and symptoms, serious health risks especially COVID-related, quit resources and engaging healthcare professionals, how to talk to your children, messaging that works and what doesn’t.

Flexible and adaptable presentation, with the ability to customize topics and length. Can be delivered in a webinar format or Zoom Group . Customizable to high school and middle school students. Could also be delivered to student clubs looking for ways to connect. Also, be sure to check out our Mini Vaping Webinars for an overview.

Quit Resources: A Deep Dive

A review of a wide range of virtual quit resources and how to avoid potential pitfalls.  Appropriate for individuals, for any size group, for all ages, for vapers and smokers themselves or those wanting to help a friend or loved one quit. Community in Crisis recently hosted one open virtual quit resources session, with great success.

Create Your Own Display

Choose and print materials to create your own interactive display. Parents and students readily engage when they see the devices, giving us an opportunity to make a few key points about vaping.

Prevention and Early Action

Workshops and training, recovery support.

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VAPING PREVENTION & EDUCATION

Access free resources for teachers, students, and parents to learn more about the dangers of vaping nicotine.

TEACHERS: WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN HOW TO USE THE FDA VAPING PREVENTION AND EDUCATION RESOURCE CENTER

Browse lesson plans focused on the latest science-based vaping prevention information from FDA, including:

• Learning outcomes mapped to national standards
• Subjects including health risks and marketing tactics
• Easily accessible online evaluations for students

VISIT THE TEACHERS PAGE

Browse the latest science-based materials on vaping prevention from FDA, including:

• Complete learning activities that test topic comprehension
• Videos featuring real teens
• 24/7 access to assignments

VISIT THE STUDENTS PAGE

Browse the most up-to-date, science-based resources on vaping prevention from FDA, including:

• Expert advice on starting conversations about the harms of vaping
• Online and community resources to help youth quit using e⁠-⁠cigarettes
• Learn to recognize vaping products that teens try to hide

VISIT THE PARENTS PAGE

Vaping and Tobacco

Lesson plans, new tobacco prevention toolkit: you and me, together vape-free.

• Grade level: 6-8
• Includes each of the 6 lessons includes a lesson plan overview, Canva slides, talking points (a script), a Kahoot quiz, discussion guide for students to use with a trusted adult, and crash courses for educators
• Teaches about the harms of e-cigarettes, the strategies e-cigarette manufacturers and sellers use to increase use among adolescents (such as deceptive and creative marketing strategies), and skills to refuse experimentation and use of e-cigarettes
• Duration: 6 lessons
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards, Health Education Content Standards, National Health Education Standards
• Sources: Stanford Medicine

NEW! Tobacco Prevention Toolkit: Smokeless Tobacco 101

• Includes PowerPoint slide deck, factsheet, activities, online quiz games, worksheets, discussion guide for students to use with a trusted adult, and crash courses for educators
• Teaches the risks and history of smokeless tobacco use and refusal skills
• Includes 7 activities/mini-lessons organized by topic and placed in a recommended sequence, with a final unit Kahoot quiz. Project Here estimates 1-3 class sessions.

NEW! Tobacco Prevention Toolkit: Hookah 101

• Teaches the risks and parts of a waterpipe (hookah) and refusal skills
• Includes 5 activities/mini-lessons organized by topic and placed in a recommended sequence, with a final unit Kahoot quiz. Project Here estimates 1-2 class sessions.

NEW! How Nicotine Affects the Teen Brain

• Includes teaching guide, student article, student activity sheet, vocabulary list, and optional interactive exercise
• Teaches about nicotine, its addictive properties, and the dangers of vaping, including by having students create a presentation for their peers
• Duration: 1 class period
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards
• Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) & Scholastic

NEW! Teacher’s Guide to the Risks of Vaping Student Magazine

• Includes teacher’s guide (lesson plan), magazine “The Risks of Vaping,” Vaping 101 Articles, Vaping’s Not Our Thing project and project rubric
• Teaches about the risks of vaping by having students analyze informational texts to gather evidence and then create a persuasive anti-vaping infographic/poster for a teen audience
• Duration: 60 min
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards ELA, Next Generation Science Standards, National Health Education Standards
• Sources: FDA Tobacco Education Resource Library

*Note: The materials in this lesson were previously part of Scholastic and the FDA’s “The Real Cost of Vaping” program (previously included in this Toolkit). The program was moved to the FDA Tobacco Education Resource Library and reworked into several separate lessons.

*Note: You will need to create a free account in the FDA Tobacco Education Resource Library to access resources.

NEW! Teens and Vaping: The Real Health Consequences

• Includes lesson plan, Vaping 101 Articles, and Get the Facts About Vaping Activity
• Teaches about the health impacts associated with using e-cigarettes
• Duration: 50 min
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards ELA and Next Generation Science Standards

NEW! Vaping Research Project

• Includes lesson plan, Vaping 101 Articles, and Plan an E-Cigarette Survey Activity
• Teaches students about the health consequences of e-cigarette use through a project where they design and conduct a survey at school
• Duration: 40 min
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards Math & ELA, Computer Science, and Next Generation Science Standards

NEW! Sizing Up E-Cigarette Marketing

• Includes lesson plan, Vaping 101 Articles, Decode the Marketing Message Activities 1 & 2
• Teaches how to uncover the misleading ways e-cigarettes are marketed to teens
• Duration: 45 min
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards ELA and Computer Science

Tobacco Prevention Toolkit: Nicotine Addiction

• Includes educator crash courses, PowerPoint with speakers notes, factsheets, and more
• Teaches students about the adolescent brain, addiction, and nicotine
• Duration: 3 class periods
• Source(s): Stanford Medicine

CATCH My Breath

• Includes 4 classroom lessons, virtual field trips, supplemental materials, free and paid teacher trainings, student self-paced modules, and paid video lessons
• Lessons teach the consequences of e-cigarette use, refusal skills and smart exit strategies, the role of advertising in e-cigarette use, and goal setting regarding e-cigarette use
• Duration: 4 35-min lessons
• Sample Lesson
• Sources: CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health), The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health

Note: The free curriculum is available to all U.S. schools. Click to register. Paid add-ons are also available.

E-Cigarettes: Is it Worth it?

• Includes educator/nurse instructional guide with instructions for 3 activities, 3 activity sheets for students, classroom poster, student toolkit, and parent/guardian letter
• Teaches the health risks of e-cigarette use and other tobacco product by looking at expert perspectives on tobacco use, advertising, and research
• Duration: 1-3 class periods
• Standard aligned with: National Health Education Standards, National Standards for Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, Common Core State Standards English Language Arts, History/Social Sciences, & Science
• Source(s): Young Minds Inspired, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, CVS Health

*Also available in Spanish

Taking Down Tobacco

• Includes teaching kit/lesson plan with instructions for 3 activities and follow-up, 3 activity sheets for students, classroom poster, 2 videos, parent/guardian letter, and student research resources
• Teaches about the risks of tobacco use and exposure to nicotine by reflecting on their personal experience with tobacco use, creating a PSA, and creating a poster about the impact of tobacco advertising
• Standards aligned with: National Health Education Standards, National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences, Common Core State Standards English Language Arts, History/Social Sciences, & Science
• Source: Young Minds Inspired, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, CVS Health

E-Cigarettes: What You Need to Know

• Includes lesson plan with student article, worksheet, critical thinking questions, vocabulary lists, and writing prompts
• Teaches about the potential risks of electronic cigarettes; how e-cigarette marketing strategies are designed and how they might influence teens; and, critical thinking
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, National Science Education Standards, and National Council for Social Studies
• Source(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) & Scholastic

Know the Risks: A Youth Guide to E-cigarettes

• Includes a PowerPoint presentation and teacher talking points
• Educates youth on e-cigarettes, including health risks, the factors that lead to e-cigarette use, and what youth can do to avoid all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes
• Source: CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH)

Student Self-Paced Lessons

Vaping: know the truth.

• Grade level: 8
• Duration: 4 5-10 min lessons (total duration 30-40 min)
• Includes 4 self-led digital lessons with pre-and post-assessments and real-time score reporting
• Teaches students about the dangers of e-cigarette use and connects students who are currently using e-cigarettes to Truth Initiative’s text message quit vaping program, This is Quitting
• Standards: National Health Education Standards
• Source: EVERFI and Truth Initiative in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente and the American Heart Association

Note: Educators must create a free EVERFI Teacher account to get started and then invite students to their class using a unique registration code. This resource is free to use.

Additional Resources

New mind matters: the body’s response to nicotine, tobacco and vaping.

• Includes a student booklet and a  Teacher’s Guide  with suggested classroom activities
• Student booklet is available online (with video) or for download
• Explains what nicotine is, the health effects of nicotine, and what vaping devices are and how they work
• Sources(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NEW! Tobacco Prevention Toolkit: Factsheets

• Includes multiple factsheets on e-cigarettes and vape pens, hookah and smokeless tobacco, and tobacco basics,
• Sources(s): Stanford Medicine

NEW! Fact: Vaping Harms Your Health (Infographic)

• Includes infographics for student “Fact: Vaping Harms Your Health”
• Sources(s): FDA Tobacco Education Resource Library

*Note: See below for 2 FDA Tobacco Education Resource Library infographics for parents/caregivers.

Resources for Parents & Caregivers

New fda tobacco education resource library infographics for parents & caregivers.

• Includes 2 infographics for parents/caregivers: “Vaping Facts and Misperceptions” and “How to Talk to Kids About Vaping Risks”

*Note: See above for an FDA Tobacco Education Resource Library infographics for students.

Vaping Fact Sheet

• Includes link to order vaping fact sheets
• Includes information that can be used throughout the community to inform parents about the dangers of vaping, data on youth e-cigarette use and the role of tobacco industry tactics
• Source(s): Massachusetts Health Promotion Clearinghouse

E-Cigarettes Shaped Like USB Flash Drives: Information for Parents, Educators, and Health Care Providers

• Includes infographic that gives an overview of E-cigarettes
• Provides brief description of the effects of e-cigarettes on the developing brain, and Helpful next steps for educators, parents, and health care providers about how to reduce the use of e-cigarettes among young people
• Source(s): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Teachers and Parents: That USB Stick Might Be an E-Cigarette (Poster)

• Includes infographic with overview of e-cigarettes
• Focuses on summarizing e-cigarettes and their risks

Vaping Prevention Lesson for Middle and High School Students

How to use the ppt presentation.

Please be aware that once downloaded, the presentations will not allow editing nor will they allow users to make a copy for themselves.  Please follow these steps to open the documents ( View Screenshot ):

•  Select “Enable Editing”,
• Select "Read Only" if prompted for a password. 
• Click "Enable Content" (if prompted).
• Please note that VIDEOS may only play when the presentation is in "Slide Show" view. Please allow a few moments for the videos to load.

PowerPoint, Presentation Notes, Citations

Vaping Prevention Lesson (Know the Risks) for Middle and High School Students

Vaping Prevention Lesson (Know the Risks) for Middle and High School Students--Presentation Notes

Youth Prevention Lessons

• Help & Support
• Quit Smoking
• Helping Teens Quit Smoking and Vaping

Vape-Free Schools Initiative

Be a leader in supporting students with guidance, education and cessation.

What Is the Vape-Free School Initiative?

Through our Vape-Free Schools Initiative, the American Lung Association is helping schools navigate this public health emergency with tools to protect and support both schools and students. 

Being recognized as a member of the American Lung Association Vape-Free Schools Initiative means that your school is a leader in supporting students affected by e-cigarettes, offering clear guidance, education and cessation. With a toolkit of resources, we will help you share your efforts with students, parents, staff and community.

Over 5.4 million kids in the United States vape, and that number has increased steadily increased over the past several years.The Surgeon General has called vaping a youth epidemic. The American Lung Association is offering a solution.

Through our Vape-Free Schools Initiative, schools are now able to help middle and high school students who are addicted or caught vaping on campus.

Nearly 8,000 kids start vaping every day, and this comprehensive initiative helps schools help their students become healthier and free of a lifetime of addiction.

This includes two new online trainings for school faculty and community partners on how to implement programs to help their students become vape-free.

INDEPTH is an alternative to suspension for students caught vaping or using tobacco products in school. This online training will allow educators to implement a program that addresses nicotine dependence and motivates students to quit.

Not On Tobacco is the answer for schools ready to offer a vaping and smoking cessation program to students. Through NOT, facilitators are trained to help students work together to break their addiction to vaping or smoking.

These programs are evidence-based and proven-effective, and are presented in a user-friendly, intuitive training platform.

Schools who complete these two online programs and a short survey can become part of the American Lung Association's Vape-Free Schools Initiative, which provides a toolkit of resources and tools and allows schools to offer an important solution to a nationwide epidemic.

Learn more and sign up at Lung.org

Support the Vape-Free Schools Scholarship Fund

How to join the vape-free schools initiative.

To be a member of the initiative, one or more of your school personnel or designated community partners can complete one of two options:

Teens are getting addicted to vaping and instead of getting education or support, they are getting suspended from school or facing other disciplinary measures. Our INDEPTH ® program is a new way to help. The Intervention for Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco and Health is a four-session program facilitated in either a one-on-one or group setting. Instead of focusing on punitive measures, INDEPTH teaches students about nicotine dependence, establishing healthy alternatives and how to kick the unhealthy addiction.

Any adult can become a facilitator by taking this free one-hour online training and using the provided resources.

Kids are becoming addicted to vaping in increasing numbers and are unable to quit on their own—just like with traditional cigarettes. Not On Tobacco ® (N-O-T) was designed with teenagers in mind. It takes a holistic approach with each session using different interactive learning strategies based on Social Cognitive Theory of behavior change. This encourages a voluntary change for youth ages 14 to 19.

Adults can become facilitators of this 10-session program for $400 a person and training includes a 3-year certification.

NOTE: If you are taking the N-O-T Youth Tobacco Cessation facilitator training course, INDEPTH will automatically be included.

Get Started

Visit our online learning platform to register and get started with the Vape-Free Schools Initiative.

Once the training program(s) are completed, your school will be recognized as an American Lung Association Vape-Free School. You'll also have access to the Vape-Free Schools Toolkit which includes important policy guidance and ways to share your accomplishments with students and parents, staff and community members.

Double Your Impact

Donate this Giving Week to honor 120 years of advancing lung health and saving lives. Your donation will make more lifesaving milestones possible.

Select Your Location

Select your location to view local American Lung Association events and news near you.

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Lung helpline.

Talk to our lung health experts at the American Lung Association. Our service is free and we are here to help you.

1-800-LUNG-USA

(1-800-586-4872)

Modules for tobacco & nicotine education

PowerPoint: Health Effects of E-Cigarettes/Vapes

Instructions.

Educators should download the PowerPoint file which contains Teacher Talking Points for each slide. 

1. This activities purpose is to describe the potential health consequences of adolescents’ use of e-cigarettes/vape pens based on information extrapolated from data on the short- and long-term use of cigarettes.

Preparation

Materials Needed:  Computer, Internet Access, Projector, "What’s So Bad About E-Cigarettes/Vapes?" PowerPoint

Handout:  None

Present the PowerPoint slideshow using the Teacher Talking Points in the notes section.  

Branching Out

Whether you have more teaching time or want to dive into similar topics to form a lesson, here are just a few options of other Toolkit curriculum items that you can use with this PowerPoint.

Discussion Guide

Students can have a conversation with a trusted adult about the health effects of using e-cigarettes/vapes.

E-Cigarette Unit

Teach more curriculum on this topic. Click on the title/heading above.

E-Cigarette/Vape Health Effects Kahoot

Quiz students on what they know or learned about the harms of using e-cigarettes/vapes.

https://tinyurl.com/TPTUNIT3QUIZ

Parent Resources: Nicotine Vaping Prevention

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This page contains details about the CATCH My Breath program, videos, tip/fact sheets, and background information on e-cigarettes. If you have any questions please contact us at [email protected] . You can stay informed with email updates and Stand with CATCH My Breath - sign up here .

***Parent support helps us keep CATCH My Breath up-to-date and free to schools nationwide.*** Consider a donation today.

CATCH My Breath Program Information

Parent toolkit videos, video one: the youth vaping epidemic.

Youth vaping is on the rise and parents need to be equipped with e-cigarette knowledge. This video covers four facts about youth vaping and how your child might be impacted by the epidemic.

Video Two: Strategies to Support Your Child’s Healthy Decisions

Checking in with your child can help them make healthy decisions, including the decision to not use e-cigarettes. In this video, you will learn simple, yet effective ways to check in with your child and support healthy decisions.

Video Three: Could Your Child be Vaping?

E-cigarettes can sometimes be hard to spot, making your job as a parent more challenging. In this video, you will learn how to identify e-cigarette and vaping products. You will also learn of common signs of vaping and nicotine addiction.

Video Four: 4 Reasons to Talk to Your Child about E-Cigarettes Today

Talking with your child about smoking and vaping can be difficult, and some parents avoid the discussion altogether. In this video, you will learn the important reasons why you should talk with your child about vaping.

Video Five: How to Talk to Your Child about E-Cigarettes

Talking to your child about smoking and vaping doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In this video, you will learn four tips to effectively talk with your child about vaping.

Parent / Community Presentations - Youth Vaping Prevention: What Schools and Parents Should Know

Help fellow parents or community members stay informed about the youth vaping epidemic and prevention efforts by hosting an educational presentation. This presentation provides basic information about e-cigarettes & vaping products, the extent of the youth vaping epidemic, short- and long-term effects of vaping, and explains how to engage in your community, including how CATCH My Breath can help schools. A video (below) and  downloadable PowerPoint slides as a self-serve option. If your school or community would like to have a live webinar or an in-person presentation delivered by a CATCH My Breath staff member, please email   [email protected] .

Want to give this presentation in your school or community?   and includes a slide-by-slide script in the slide notes.

Click here to view and/or download the presentation slides, which include slide-by-slide scripting in the notes section.

Parent / Community Presentation Video (English)

Parent / Community Presentation Video (Spanish)

E-cigarette Background Information

What is an e-cigarette.

E-cigarettes are a type of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) and their appearance can vary from resembling a conventional cigarette to a USB flash drive. They use a nicotine liquid often called e-liquid or e-juice, which is often sweet or candy flavored, to deliver nicotine to the body. While they were developed as a means to help smokers quit, they have rapidly become the new means of nicotine addiction, especially among young people. The following video explains e-cigarettes in detail.

What does an E-cigarette look like?

E-cigarettes can take on many different shapes and forms and they can vary in name. Today, E-cigarettes include brands such as JUUL, Blu,Vapor Fi, PHIX,Suorin Air, My Jet, and PULSE. Below you can see examples of (1) disposable e-cigarettes, (2) reusable "tanks" or "mods" (3) Suorin drops, (4) and JUULs. Although there are a lot of e-cigarette options available, JUUL is currently the most popular e-cigarette in the United States with roughly 75% of the market share.

How common is E-cigarette use?

As of 2020, 19.6% of high school students and 4.7% of middle school students across the U.S. have used E-cigarettes in the past 30 days. This data points to the fact that large numbers of American children will become addicted to nicotine and are at risk for becoming a regular tobacco user.

How harmful are e-cigarettes?

• E-cigarettes are a source of extremely high doses of ultrafine particles in the human respiratory system. These particles have been linked to cardiovascular disease. 
• Nicotine is much more addictive to the immature teen brain compared to the developed adult brain.  
• Even a little nicotine can lead to ADHD-like symptoms and compulsive behavior, which can contribute to classroom behavior problems.
• There is some evidence that nicotine primes the brain for other drug addictions.
• Nicotine is extremely harmful to the developing fetus. There is no known safe level of nicotine exposure in utero.
• Drinking nicotine in E-juice is harmful and possibly fatal for babies and toddlers. 
• Nicotine overdose symptoms include rapid heart rate, nausea, elevated blood pressure, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, convulsion, and potentially seizure and death.
• The process of heating the nicotine solution produces aldehyde, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and acrolein, which are known carcinogens.
• The glycerin/propylene glycol and 8,000+ flavoring chemicals in e-cigarettes have only been approved for ingestion (eating). It is not recommended by the manufacturers that these chemicals be inhaled, as they have not been widely tested for their potential sensitizing, toxic, or irritating characteristics. 
• Many E-liquids are custom-mixed by individuals at home, increasing the potential for additional health risks to E-cigarette users. Even commercial E-liquids are produced with unknown manufacturing procedures, packaging materials, and purity standards.

Addicted Early

This 4-minute video follows two friends, Mari and Jake before school as they discuss a class project and Jake's new obsession with his vape.

Additional resources and tip / fact sheets

These resources give more detailed information about e-cigarettes, the youth vaping epidemic, and other related topics.

• CDC: E-cigarette, or Vaping Product Visual Dictionary
• FDA Raises Federal Minimum Age of Sale of Tobacco Products to 21
• FDA: Limited Flavor Ban Enforcement Policy
• CDC: E-cigarettes and Youth: What Parents Need to Know
• Surgeon General: The Call to Action on E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults
• American Lung Association: E-cigarettes, "Vapes", and JUULs: What Parents Should Know
• American Cancer Society: Questions and Answers about E-cigarettes for Parents  
• American Cancer Society: What Your Need to Know about E-cigarettes: For Middle and High School Students  
• Science News for Students: Concerns Explode Over New Health Risks of Vaping  
• Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: Don't Trust JUUL  
• Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: Big Tobacco is Back  
• Public Health Law Center: U.S. E-Cigarette Regulations - 50 State Review
• Truth Initiative: Behind the explosive growth of JUUL
• Truth Initiative: Vaping Lingo Dictionary: A guide to popular terms and devices
• UThealth: Quick Facts About JUUL, The High Nicotine Product Hiding In Plain Sight
• Fox 32 Chicago: Vape pen explodes, shattering teenager's jaw and knocking out some teeth

Social Media:

• CATCH My Breath Pinterest Page

Videos about e-cigarettes and JUUL

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Health Reporting in the States

Young adults who started vaping as teens still can't shake the habit.

John Daley - Colorado Public Radio

Many young people who started vaping nicotine as teens several years ago haven't quit the habit, data show. Daisy-Daisy/Getty Images hide caption

Many young people who started vaping nicotine as teens several years ago haven't quit the habit, data show.

G Kumar's vaping addiction peaked in college at the University of Colorado, when flavored, disposable vapes were taking off.

The disposables would have more than a thousand puffs in them. "I'd go through, let's say, 1,200 puffs in a week," said Kumar, who uses they/them pronouns.

Vaping became a crutch. Like losing a cell phone, losing a vape pen would set off a mad scramble. "It needs to be right next to my head when I fall asleep at night and then in the morning I have to thrash through the sheets and pick it up and find it," Kumar recalled.

They got sick often, including catching COVID — and vaping through all of it.

Kumar, now 24, did end up quitting. But many of their generation can't shake the habit.

"Everyone knows it's not good for you and everyone wants to stop," said CU senior Jacob Garza who works to raise awareness about substance use as part of the school's Health Promotion program.

"But at this point, doing it all these years ... it's just second nature now," he said. "They're hooked on it."

Shots - Health News

They're illegal. so why is it so easy to buy the disposable vapes favored by teens.

For years, slick marketing by e-cigarette companies, and the allure of sweet, fruity or even candy-like flavors and names, led teens to try vaping. As more high schoolers and even younger kids picked up the behavior, doctors and researchers warned it could lead to widespread addiction, creating a 'Generation Vape.'

Now, new data about substance use among young adults suggests that many of those former teen vapers haven't quit.

Vaping use drops among teens, rises among young adults

In Colorado, the share of those aged 18 to 24 who regularly vaped rose by about 61% from 2020 to 2022 – to nearly a quarter of that age group.

"That's an astounding increase in just two years," says Dr. Delaney Ruston , a primary care physician and documentary filmmaker.

Nationally, vaping rates for young adults increased from 7.6% in 2018 to 11% in 2021 .

Disposable electronic cigarette devices displayed for sale on June 26, 2023. While most flavored disposables are officially banned in the U.S., they continue to be sold. Rebecca Blackwell/AP hide caption

Disposable electronic cigarette devices displayed for sale on June 26, 2023. While most flavored disposables are officially banned in the U.S., they continue to be sold.

Research has shown nicotine is highly rewarding to the brains of young people.

"It's not surprising that many of them start in high school for social reasons, for all sorts of reasons," says Ruston, whose latest film is Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Ag e . "And many of them now — we're seeing this — have continued to college and beyond."

Meanwhile, vape rates have actually dropped among Colorado high schoolers, said Tiffany Schommer, the tobacco cessation supervisor with Colorado's state health department.

At one point, before the pandemic, Colorado led the nation in youth vaping, topping 37 states surveyed for use of electronic cigarettes among high school students.

Vaping peaked among minors in Colorado in 2017 with 27% of Colorado youth reporting they had vaped in the past month, according to the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey . But by 2021, the most recent year for which there's data, that dropped to 16%.

Nationally vaping rates among high schoolers dropped from 28% in 2019 to 12.6% in 2023 , according to the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey.

But for many young people who started vaping at the height of the trend, a habit was set.

"E-cigarette use has increased, particularly among people who have never smoked [traditional cigarettes,]" said Schommer. "So these are folks who started with vapes, continue with vapes."

Preliminary data indicates that almost half of those vaping 18- to 24-year-olds started vaping before they turned 18, according to the Colorado 2022 Tobacco Attitudes and Behaviors Survey.

'They weren't able to stop.'

At Children's Hospital Colorado, pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Heather De Keyser pulls up on her screen a clouded X-ray of the lung of a young adult damaged by vaping.

"This is a patient with vaping-related lung injury," she says.

For years, doctors like her and public health experts wondered about the potential harmful impact of vaping on pre-adult bodies and brains — especially the big risk of addiction

Dr. Heather De Keyser, pediatric pulmonologist at Children's Hospital Colorado, points to the X-ray of a lung of a young adult damaged by vaping. John Daley/CPR News hide caption

Dr. Heather De Keyser, pediatric pulmonologist at Children's Hospital Colorado, points to the X-ray of a lung of a young adult damaged by vaping.

"I think, unfortunately those lessons that we were worried we were going to be learning, we're learning. The data is bearing out in that," said De Keyser, an associate professor of pediatrics in the Breathing Institute at Children's Hospital Colorado . "We're seeing increases in those young adults. They weren't able to stop."

It's no coincidence the vaping rates soared during the pandemic, according to several public health experts.

For the past couple of years, undergraduates have talked about the challenges of isolation and using more substances, said Alyssa Wright, Early Intervention program manager at Health Promotion at CU Boulder .

"Just being home, being bored, being a little bit anxious, not knowing what's happening in the world," Wright said. "We don't have that social connection, and it feels like people are still even trying to catch up from that experience."

Other factors driving addiction are the high nicotine levels in vaping devices, and "stealth culture," says Chris Lord, CU Boulder's associate director of the Collegiate Recovery Center .

"The products they were using had five times more nicotine than previous vapes had," he says. "So getting hooked on that was ... almost impossible to avoid."

As far as "stealth culture," Lord means that vaping is exciting, something forbidden and secret. "I think as an adolescent, our brains are kind of wired that way, a lot of us," Lord said.

The Juul effect

Wind the clock back half a decade and one could see the seeds of these current vaping rates.

In 2019, if you typed the word "Juul" into the search bar on YouTube, you could find an endless stream of videos of young people showing off how cool it was to use the company's sleek, high-tech-looking vaping device.

Juul packages are seen on a shop shelf on December 07, 2022. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption

Juul packages are seen on a shop shelf on December 07, 2022.

In one video Colorado Public Radio found in 2019, two young women show how they "make parties more fun."

"We just chillin',' one says, laughing. "We vapin' and we Juul-in'."

Many of those videos are no longer available, pulled off the platform once the trend took off. Searching for Juul now brings up many videos warning of the dangers and how to talk to kids .

All over the U.S., state and local governments, including Colorado, filed suit, alleging Juul Labs misrepresented the health risks of its products.

Juul agreed to pay hundreds of millions in settlements , including a nearly $32 million settlement last year with Colorado.

Juul had become No. 1, the top e-cigarette company, the lawsuits argued, by first aggressively marketing directly to kids, who then spread the word themselves by posting to social media sites like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

"What vaping has done, getting high schoolers, in some cases even middle schoolers, hooked on vaping, is now playing out," says Colorado attorney general Phil Weiser , a parent of two teens himself. He said vape companies followed the tobacco industry playbook — with a similar impact on young consumers. "They're still hooked. This is a very addictive product."

Juul did not respond to requests for comment.

R.J. Reynolds, which makes another popular brand , Vuse, sent NPR this statement: "We steer clear of youth enticing flavors, such as bubble gum and cotton candy, providing a stark juxtaposition to illicit disposable vapor products."

Other big vape companies , like Esco Bar, Elf Bar, Breeze Smoke and Puff Bar didn't respond to requests for comment.

"If we lived in an ideal world, adults would reach the age of 24 without ever having experimented with adult substances. In reality, young adults experiment," said Greg Conley, director of legislative & external affairs with American Vapor Manufacturers. "This predates the advent of nicotine vaping."

The FDA banned flavored vape cartridges in 2020 in an effort to crack down on marketing to minors, but the products are still easy to find .

Debate over vaping's role in smoking cessation

One claim often made in defense of vaping is that it can help users quit cigarette smoking.

Joe Miklosi, a consultant to the Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance, a trade group for vape shops contends the shops are not driving vaping rates among young adults in Colorado.

"We keep demographic data in our 125 stores. Our average age (of customers) is 42," he says.

Vape shops sell products to help adult smokers quit, Miklosi says, with lower levels of nicotine than big companies like Juul. Miklosi claims he's talked to thousands of consumers who claimed vaping helped them quit smoking cigarettes.

But the Colorado data belies that, according to longtime tobacco researcher Stanton Glantz.

The 18-24 age group leads all age groups in regular use, and use gradually dropped with each age cohort, up to the 65+ demographic, of which just 1% use e-cigarettes.

The data are "completely inconsistent with the argument that most e-cigarette use is adult smokers trying to use them to quit," said Glantz, the now-retired director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California San Francisco.

Glantz says because of the onslaught of sleek technology, flavors, and marketing used by Juul and other companies "the kids are getting addicted younger and faster," compared to earlier decades when traditional cigarettes dominated the tobacco market.

Finding the will to quit

For recent college graduate G Kumar, now a rock climber, the impetus to quit vaping was more ecological than health-related. It was "knowing the amount of trash [from used up vape devices] that I was accumulating and the amount of money I was spending," they said.

Kumar got some help from a package of cessation literature and quitting aids from CU's Health Promotion program. It included two boxes of eucalyptus-flavored toothpicks, which tasted awful to Kumar, but provided a distraction and helped with oral cravings.

"The fact that I could just gnaw on toothpicks for weeks on end was, I think, what kept me sane," Kumar said.

It took a while and a lot of willpower to overcome the intense psychological craving, something many others in that generation know all too well.

This story was produced in partnership with CPR News and KFF Health News.

• nicotine addiction
• youth vaping
• young adults

CAPE COD LIGHTHOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL

Vaping presentation.

Vaping Education

Presentation by Stacey Schakel, MPS Nurse Coordinator

February 27, 2019

Below is the YouTube video Ms. Shakel created with Mashpee TV.

What is Vaping?

Your Teen Is Underestimating the Health Risks of Vaping

By KATHLEEN RAVEN  DECEMBER 19, 2018

December 18, Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a rare advisory—the fourth in 10 years—from his office. “I am officially declaring e-cigarette use [vaping] among youth an epidemic in the United States,” Dr. Adams said.    The numbers are startling. Eleven percent of high school seniors, 8 percent of 10th-graders, and 3.5 percent of eighth-graders reported vaping with nicotine in a one month period, according to a national survey released from the University of Michigan late last year. The worrying part? Young people think vaping is mostly harmless. 

To understand vaping, it’s best to start on broad terms. To vape is to inhale vapor created from a liquid heated up inside a device. From there, things quickly get complicated. The devices have many names—vape pens, pod mods, tanks, electronic nicotine delivery devices (ENDS), e-hookahs and e-cigarettes. The liquid they contain also has many monikers—it might be called e-juice, e-liquid, cartridges, pods, or oil. Most vape liquids contain a combination of propylene glycol or glycerol—also called glycerin—as a base, and nicotine, marijuana, or flavoring chemicals to produce common or outlandish flavors, from mint to “unicorn puke.” The devices rely on batteries to power heating elements made of various materials that aerosolize the liquid. 

Read the rest of the article on Yale Medicine.org

Vaping  Resources

Vaping Resources:

Monitoring the Future 2018: https://www.drugabuse.gov/trends-statistics/monitoring-future/monitoring-future-study-trends-in-prevalence-various-drugs

CDC:  Vitalsigns e-Cigs: http://bit.ly/2vZ34E0

CDC: Know the Risks: e-Cigs and Young People:   http://bit.ly/2t1vhpW

CDC: Fact Sheet: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/factsheet/index.html

Center for Living - Dangers of Vaping https://www.centerforliving.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/centerforliving.org_dangers_of_vaping.pdf

Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0394.pdf

Massachusetts DPH -   http://makesmokinghistory.org/dangers-of-vaping/

Massachusetts DPH - FAQ’s About Vaping: http://files.hria.org/files/TC3480.pdf

Massachusetts DPH - How to Talk to Your Kids About Vaping:  http://files.hria.org/files/TC3479.pdf

Massachusetts DPH - The New Look of Nicotine Addiction: http://files.hria.org/files/TC3477.pdf

National Institute on Drug Abuse – Electronic Cigarettes: https://d14rmgtrwzf5a.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/drugfacts-ecig.pdf =

Prevention Resources

E-Cigarette Prevention: CATCH My Breath – CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health). A youth e-cigarette prevention program targeting ages 11-18.  The program is divided into 4 sessions lasting 35-40 minutes each and uses a variety of educational strategies including: cooperative learning groups, group discussions, goal setting, interviews, and analyzing mass media.

The Tobacco Prevention Toolkit – Stanford University School of Medicine. A toolkit for teachers with in-classroom units and lesson plans on e-cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine. The toolkit includes PowerPoints, discussion guides, worksheets, and activities.

ASPIRE – MD Anderson Center. ASPIRE is a free, bilingual, online tool that helps middle and high school teens learn about being tobacco free.

smokeSCREEN: A Smoking Prevention Videogame – play2PREVENT

Get Smart about Tobacco: Health and Science Education Program – Scholastic

Cessation Resources

Smokefree Teen – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Truth Initiative® has expanded its quit-smoking resources to include a first-of-its kind e-cigarette quit program. This innovative and free text message program was created with input from teens, college students and young adults who have attempted to, or successfully, quit e-cigarettes. The program is tailored by age group to give teens and young adults appropriate recommendations about quitting. The program will also serve as a resource for parents looking to help their children who now vape. To access the new e-cigarette quit program, users can text "QUIT" to (202) 804-9884.

Talk to an expert for cessation help – 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)

Caron Educational Alliance - https://www.caron.org/our-programs/education-alliance

Project CONNECT - https://www.caron.org/our-programs/education-alliance/student-assistance-program/project-connect

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Young adults who started vaping as teens still can't shake the habit.

Teen vaping is trending downwards these days. But data from Colorado and around the country show the generation that made Juul cool is still hooked on nicotine.

G Kumar's vaping addiction peaked in college at the University of Colorado, when flavored, disposable vapes were taking off.

The disposables would have more than a thousand puffs in them. "I'd go through, let's say, 1,200 puffs in a week," said Kumar, who uses they/them pronouns.

Vaping became a crutch. Like losing a cell phone, losing a vape pen would set off a mad scramble. "It needs to be right next to my head when I fall asleep at night and then in the morning I have to thrash through the sheets and pick it up and find it," Kumar recalled.

They got sick often, including catching COVID — and vaping through all of it.

Kumar, now 24, did end up quitting. But many of their generation can't shake the habit.

"Everyone knows it's not good for you and everyone wants to stop," said CU senior Jacob Garza who works to raise awareness about substance use as part of the school's Health Promotion program.

"But at this point, doing it all these years ... it's just second nature now," he said. "They're hooked on it."

For years, slick marketing by e-cigarette companies, and the allure of sweet, fruity or even candy-like flavors and names, led teens to try vaping. As more high schoolers and even younger kids picked up the behavior, doctors and researchers warned it could lead to widespread addiction, creating a 'Generation Vape.'

Now, new data about substance use among young adults suggests that many of those former teen vapers haven't quit.

Vaping use drops among teens, rises among young adults

In Colorado, the share of those aged 18 to 24 who regularly vaped rose by about 61% from 2020 to 2022 – to nearly a quarter of that age group.

"That's an astounding increase in just two years," says Dr. Delaney Ruston , a primary care physician and documentary filmmaker.

Nationally, vaping rates for young adults increased from 7.6% in 2018 to 11% in 2021 .

Research has shown nicotine is highly rewarding to the brains of young people.

"It's not surprising that many of them start in high school for social reasons, for all sorts of reasons," says Ruston, whose latest film is Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age . "And many of them now — we're seeing this — have continued to college and beyond."

Meanwhile, vape rates have actually dropped among Colorado high schoolers, said Tiffany Schommer, the tobacco cessation supervisor with Colorado's state health department.

At one point, before the pandemic, Colorado led the nation in youth vaping, topping 37 states surveyed for use of electronic cigarettes among high school students.

Vaping peaked among minors in Colorado in 2017 with 27% of Colorado youth reporting they had vaped in the past month, according to the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey . But by 2021, the most recent year for which there's data, that dropped to 16%.

Nationally vaping rates among high schoolers dropped from 28% in 2019 to 12.6% in 2023 , according to the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey.

But for many young people who started vaping at the height of the trend, a habit was set.

"E-cigarette use has increased, particularly among people who have never smoked [traditional cigarettes,]" said Schommer. "So these are folks who started with vapes, continue with vapes."

Preliminary data indicates that almost half of those vaping 18- to 24-year-olds started vaping before they turned 18, according to the Colorado 2022 Tobacco Attitudes and Behaviors Survey.

'They weren't able to stop.'

At Children's Hospital Colorado, pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Heather De Keyser pulls up on her screen a clouded X-ray of the lung of a young adult damaged by vaping.

"This is a patient with vaping-related lung injury," she says.

For years, doctors like her and public health experts wondered about the potential harmful impact of vaping on pre-adult bodies and brains — especially the big risk of addiction

"I think, unfortunately those lessons that we were worried we were going to be learning, we're learning. The data is bearing out in that," said De Keyser, an associate professor of pediatrics in the Breathing Institute at Children's Hospital Colorado . "We're seeing increases in those young adults. They weren't able to stop."

It's no coincidence the vaping rates soared during the pandemic, according to several public health experts.

For the past couple of years, undergraduates have talked about the challenges of isolation and using more substances, said Alyssa Wright, Early Intervention program manager at Health Promotion at CU Boulder .

"Just being home, being bored, being a little bit anxious, not knowing what's happening in the world," Wright said. "We don't have that social connection, and it feels like people are still even trying to catch up from that experience."

Other factors driving addiction are the high nicotine levels in vaping devices, and "stealth culture," says Chris Lord, CU Boulder's associate director of the Collegiate Recovery Center .

"The products they were using had five times more nicotine than previous vapes had," he says. "So getting hooked on that was ... almost impossible to avoid."

As far as "stealth culture," Lord means that vaping is exciting, something forbidden and secret. "I think as an adolescent, our brains are kind of wired that way, a lot of us," Lord said.

The Juul effect

Wind the clock back half a decade and one could see the seeds of these current vaping rates.

In 2019, if you typed the word "Juul" into the search bar on YouTube, you could find an endless stream of videos of young people showing off how cool it was to use the company's sleek, high-tech-looking vaping device.

In one video Colorado Public Radio found in 2019, two young women show how they "make parties more fun."

"We just chillin',' one says, laughing. "We vapin' and we Juul-in'."

Many of those videos are no longer available, pulled off the platform once the trend took off. Searching for Juul now brings up many videos warning of the dangers and how to talk to kids .

All over the U.S., state and local governments, including Colorado, filed suit, alleging Juul Labs misrepresented the health risks of its products.

Juul agreed to pay hundreds of millions in settlements , including a nearly $32 million settlement last year with Colorado.

Juul had become No. 1, the top e-cigarette company, the lawsuits argued, by first aggressively marketing directly to kids, who then spread the word themselves by posting to social media sites like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

"What vaping has done, getting high schoolers, in some cases even middle schoolers, hooked on vaping, is now playing out," says Colorado attorney general Phil Weiser , a parent of two teens himself. He said vape companies followed the tobacco industry playbook — with a similar impact on young consumers. "They're still hooked. This is a very addictive product."

Juul did not respond to requests for comment.

R.J. Reynolds, which makes another popular brand , Vuse, sent NPR this statement: "We steer clear of youth enticing flavors, such as bubble gum and cotton candy, providing a stark juxtaposition to illicit disposable vapor products."

Other big vape companies , like Esco Bar, Elf Bar, Breeze Smoke and Puff Bar didn't respond to requests for comment.

"If we lived in an ideal world, adults would reach the age of 24 without ever having experimented with adult substances. In reality, young adults experiment," said Greg Conley, director of legislative & external affairs with American Vapor Manufacturers. "This predates the advent of nicotine vaping."

The FDA banned flavored vape cartridges in 2020 in an effort to crack down on marketing to minors, but the products are still easy to find .

Debate over vaping's role in smoking cessation

One claim often made in defense of vaping is that it can help users quit cigarette smoking.

Joe Miklosi, a consultant to the Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance, a trade group for vape shops contends the shops are not driving vaping rates among young adults in Colorado.

"We keep demographic data in our 125 stores. Our average age (of customers) is 42," he says.

Vape shops sell products to help adult smokers quit, Miklosi says, with lower levels of nicotine than big companies like Juul. Miklosi claims he's talked to thousands of consumers who claimed vaping helped them quit smoking cigarettes.

But the Colorado data belies that, according to longtime tobacco researcher Stanton Glantz.

The 18-24 age group leads all age groups in regular use, and use gradually dropped with each age cohort, up to the 65+ demographic, of which just 1% use e-cigarettes.

The data are "completely inconsistent with the argument that most e-cigarette use is adult smokers trying to use them to quit," said Glantz, the now-retired director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California San Francisco.

Glantz says because of the onslaught of sleek technology, flavors, and marketing used by Juul and other companies "the kids are getting addicted younger and faster," compared to earlier decades when traditional cigarettes dominated the tobacco market.

Finding the will to quit

For recent college graduate G Kumar, now a rock climber, the impetus to quit vaping was more ecological than health-related. It was "knowing the amount of trash [from used up vape devices] that I was accumulating and the amount of money I was spending," they said.

Kumar got some help from a package of cessation literature and quitting aids from CU's Health Promotion program. It included two boxes of eucalyptus-flavored toothpicks, which tasted awful to Kumar, but provided a distraction and helped with oral cravings.

"The fact that I could just gnaw on toothpicks for weeks on end was, I think, what kept me sane," Kumar said.

It took a while and a lot of willpower to overcome the intense psychological craving, something many others in that generation know all too well.

This story was produced in partnership with CPR News and KFF Health News.

Copyright 2024 CPR News

Azelene Williams – From Fear to Freedom

Vaping clearing the air lived experience presentation.

Clearing the Air – Year 3 to Year 12

Beyond the Haze Vaping Presentation. The Path to Clean Air and Healthy Lungs

Welcome to “Beyond the Haze: The Path to Clean Air and Healthy Lungs,” the ultimate vaping presentation designed to educate and empower individuals on the importance of clean air and maintaining healthy lungs in the world of vaping.   Our presentation dives deep into the world of vaping, shedding light on this epidemic under our youth today. We believe that knowledge is power, and by equipping young people with accurate information, they will be able to make informed decisions.   During “Beyond the Haze,” our expert lived experience presenter Azelene Williams will guide you through the intricacies of vaping, debunking myths and providing valuable insights. We cover essential topics such as understanding the ingredients in e-liquids, proper device maintenance, and the potential risks associated with vaping.   Our mission is to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of vaping. We believe through this lived experience vaping presentation by Azelene Williams, we can contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment for everyone.   Join us for an engaging and informative vaping presentation that goes beyond the surface level. Gain the knowledge and tools necessary to make intelligent choices when it comes to vaping. Together, let’s pave the way to clean air and healthy lungs.   To learn more about our “Beyond the Haze” presentation and how it can benefit your school, community or organization, contact us today. Let’s work together to create a safer environment and a no vaping community. #VapingPresentation #CleanAir #HealthyLungs  

Did you know that numerous e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals found in substances such as biofuel, paint thinner, and insecticides? It’s a disturbing truth that cannot be ignored any longer. With more than 200 hazardous chemicals detected in e-liquids, it’s high time we shed light on the hidden dangers of vaping.  

Azelene is a passionate lived-experience presenter who has dedicated her time to educating and raising awareness about the vaping epidemic. With a mission to safeguard our youth, Azelene has already visited hundreds of schools and spoke to thousands of young people from Year 3 to Year 12, and she has witnessed first-hand the impact of this concerning trend on our educational institutions.   Through Azelene’s engaging storytelling and informative sessions, students gain valuable insights into the dangers of vaping. Her lived experience and extensive research ensure that her message resonates deeply and empowers young minds to make informed decisions and protect themselves from the perils of this addictive habit.   Join forces with Azelene in the fight against vaping. Together, we can equip our youth with the knowledge and awareness they need to make healthier choices. Invite Azelene to your organisation or school and take a stand against this growing epidemic that threatens the well-being of our future generation.     

The following will be covered in this presentation:

• Vaping & e-cigarettes—Fact or fiction?
• Vape & e-cigarettes anatomy.
• Vape explosions.
• Nicotine addiction.
• The difference between withdrawal & cravings.
• What stage of addiction are you in?
• How to quit?
• Vaping versus lung diseases.
• Peer pressure or social norms?
• What attracts young people to vaping?
• How the vaping industry exploits celebrities.
• Vape & e-cigarette marketing.
• School policy, advocacy, & the law.

From January 1, 2024 , the Australian Government banned the importation of disposable vapes into Australia.

From March 1, 2024 , other requirements will be introduced, including:

A ban on importing all vapes, including rechargeable vapes, without an import licence and permit. Specific product requirements for imported vapes, with flavours limited to mint, menthol or tobacco. Some therapeutic vapes will be allowed. These are vapes prescribed by a doctor or nurse practitioner for someone quitting smoking or managing a nicotine dependence

Addictive chemicals in e-cigarette liquid, such as nicotine, can affect the developing brains of young people.

Vaping is a relatively new trend under young people that, unfortunately, poses some serious health risks. Vaping liquids, also known as e-liquids, contain a mix of chemicals, including harmful ones such as nicotine, diacetyl, formaldehyde, and acrolein. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm a developing brain, while diacetyl has been linked to a serious lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, also known as “popcorn lung.” Formaldehyde and acrolein are both irritants that can damage the lungs and cause respiratory problems. It’s important to be aware of the potential dangers of vaping and to avoid it if possible.

According to recent studies, vaping can have harmful effects on a teen’s brain. Nicotine in the e-cigarettes can interfere with the development of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and mood regulation. This can lead to addiction, mood disorders, and a higher risk of using other drugs. Additionally, some e-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and benzene, which can damage neurons and contribute to permanent brain damage.

Some of the most harmful chemicals found in vapes include: Nicotine, Formaldehyde, Acetaldehyde, Acrolein, Propylene Glycol, Diacetyl, Heavy Metals, Toluene, Acetone, Benzene. These chemicals can lead to various health problems such as lung disease, cancer, and heart disease. It’s important to be aware of the chemicals in vapes and the potential risks associated with using them.

Vaping School Presentation

“Vaping Clearing the Air Lived Experience” presentation in schools. We are dedicated to educating young people about the dangers of vaping and providing them with the tools to make informed decisions about their health.

As you may know, vaping has become increasingly popular among young people in recent years, with many believing that it is a safer alternative to smoking. However, the truth is that vaping can be just as harmful, if not more so, than traditional smoking. It can lead to addiction, lung damage, and a host of other health problems.

Our presentation is designed to provide students with a real-life perspective on the dangers of vaping. We bring in individuals who have experienced the negative effects of vaping firsthand, including former vapers who have suffered from addiction and health problems. These personal stories help to bring the issue to life and make it more relatable for young people.

Our presentation also covers the science behind vaping, including the chemicals and toxins found in e-cigarettes and vaping products. We provide students with a clear understanding of the risks associated with vaping and the potential long-term health consequences.

We believe that education is the key to preventing young people from falling into the trap of vaping. By providing them with accurate and compelling information, we hope to empower them to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

We offer our presentation to schools across the country and can work with you to tailor it to the specific needs of your students. Our goal is to provide a dynamic and engaging experience that will leave a lasting impact on your students.

We look forward to working with you to educate young people about the dangers of vaping.

Balcatta Senior High School Feedback Article:

On Friday 26 August, the Years 7 to 10 students were visited by Azelene Williams from the Perennial Health Institute, who is also a registered social worker and holistic counsellor.  She talked to us about the effects of vaping, the effects nicotine can have on your body, addiction and about what’s actually in e-cigarettes.  Azelene developed a strong connection with her audience by using her personal story about how she grew up vaping and smoking, and how it ruined her life and greatly affected her daughter’s life.

There are many dangers and risks of vaping.  The health concerns associated with vaping include a threat of lung disease, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis which are the most common and are both irreversible.  Nicotine addiction can also result from vaping and this can disrupt normal brain development and make trying to quit more difficult.  Both of these are long term effects which can be difficult for students who vape to understand, but it is important that they are discussed so students can see what their potential future could look like if they continue to vape.

Azelene’s presentation had a large impact mostly on the students who haven’t vaped before but have potentially considered trying it one day.  This is a positive outcome as it has possibly changed people’s minds about trying it, and as Azelene said, “if you haven’t started vaping yet, don’t do it!”

It also has potentially made a couple of students who do vape, reassess their vaping and those around them.  Although a small group of students seemed unphased by the presentation.  The students who don’t vape were the ones who were left worried and distressed about the health and safety of their friends who do.

If it changes just a few students’ minds, that is better than not changing at all, which makes Azelene’s presentation a success.

Written by Tilly Woodard, Year 10

Santa Maria College Feedback Article:

In her blog last week, Jennifer Oaten wrote an article titled  Say No . In recognising the challenges this is providing to schools and the upward trend of vaping in teens, Azelene Williams from Perennial Health was invited to address the topic recently with our students from Years 7-12.

Azelene shared some important and shocking facts and figures about vaping. She also shared her own experiences and health challenges that have resulted. Azelene challenged our girls to do some research about vaping before being willing to say yes if offered a vape.

One Year 11 student explained that she had not been aware of how deliberately the big tobacco companies have been at targeting children and youth. This tactic becomes clearly evident with vape names, images, and flavours such as ‘Fruit Monster’ and ‘Berry Blast’ readily available.

Vaping has become part of the social norm and is constantly evident on social media, where influencers portray this as something cool to do. With so-called wellness packs being marketed to tweens and teens, of course, containing vapes.

The most concerning part of this is that we now recognise the majority of vapes contain nicotine, and young people are at risk of becoming addicted. Fruity Monster and Berry Blast are not likely to list the other concerning ingredients that have been found in vapes, such as aluminium, lead, tin, pesticides, disinfectant, and, let’s be honest, no one really knows what else.

Over the past two years, Azelene has presented her powerful Vaping Clearing the Air Presentation to schools across Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, and even South Africa. Her lived experience and expertise have been shared with students and educators around the world, helping young people overcome the dangers of vaping.

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