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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

vaping assignment for students

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.

vaping assignment for students

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.

vaping assignment for students

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

vaping assignment for students

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.

vaping assignment for students

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

vaping assignment for students

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

vaping assignment for students

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

vaping assignment for students

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)

vaping assignment for students

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

vaping assignment for students

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.

vaping assignment for students

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

Modules for tobacco & nicotine education

youandme-hero

Our new You and Me, Together Vape-Free curriculum , which is part of the Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit , is a 6-lesson evidence-based curriculum created by the Stanford REACH Lab as well as by our Youth Action Board, educators, healthcare providers, and scientists across the U.S.

All of our lessons are mapped to the California and National Common Core State Standards, Health Education Content Standards, and the National Health Education Standards .  Please see the links within each Lesson to see the Standards associated with each lesson.

Navigate to each lesson by clicking the thumbnail. We offer elementary, middle and high school versions as well as other languages/cultures down below.

Data dashboard banner-2

Please register to our data dashboard platform below,  before  beginning the curriculum!

If you have registered before for another curriculum or grade, simply login to obtain your data collection code. 

For Elementary Schools (Click here to view lessons)

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For Middle Schools (Click here to view lessons)

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For High Schools (Click here to view lessons)

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  • General Info

Using Canva

  • Pre/Post-Surveys
  • Parent Letter
  • Crash Courses for Instructors
  • Different Cultures/Lang.

Introduction to the Curriculum and General Information

The You and Me, Together Vape-Free curriculum includes a  middle  and  high school program  that are 6 lessons, approximately 50 minutes each. It also includes a two-lesson  elementary school version , approximately 50 minutes each. Every lesson provides  activities ,  online quiz games , and  worksheets  in addition to  presentations ,  resources , and other materials aimed at addressing key factors associated with youth e-cigarette use, including changing adolescents’ attitudes towards and misperceptions about e-cigarettes; increasing their refusal skills to pulls of flavors, marketing, and social media; reducing stress and depression which have been linked to e-cigarette initiation and use; improving coping; and decreasing intentions and actual use of all e-cigarette products.

These 6 in-class sessions are reinforced outside of the classroom with follow-up  discussion guides  that provide open-ended questions and activities for youth to discuss various e-cigarette-related topics with a trusted adult and/or peer in order to open dialogue between youth and adults. The curriculum is meant to reach all youth, including those at highest risk of tobacco use, racial/ethnic minorities, students in continuation and alternative schools, and those identifying as LGBTQ+.

The goals of this curriculum are for adolescents to:

Increase their knowledge about e-cigarettes and the harms they can cause .

Gain awareness of strategies manufacturers and sellers of e-cigarettes employ to increase use among adolescents, such as deceptive and creative marketing strategies ., gain skills to refuse experimentation and use of e-cigarettes ., ultimately, to reduce and prevent e-cigarette use of any type, including nicotine, cannabis/thc, and/or non-nicotine products., before getting started, here are a few notes to review:.

  • Each lesson has a lesson page that provides background information, learning objectives, key takeaways the students will learn, health education and common core standards (both California and National) addressed in each lesson. Each lesson also includes direct links to the Canva slides, talking points, a Kahoot quiz, and a Discussion Guide. 
  • All lessons may require some prep work for activities (gathering materials, setting up the class), optional slides (preview optional videos and activities to see if they are right for your class), and determining additional activities (found at the bottom of each lesson page). Please review each lesson's notes before implementing. 
  • Notes (a.k.a. "script") that can be used for each slide are embedded in the Canva slides as well as can be found in the teacher Talking Points Chart.
  • Each unit has a  Kahoot!  Quiz linked below and can be used as a pre and post quiz to see how much students know before and after instruction.
  • Discussion Guides: We suggest providing students with the discussion guide that they can take home and discuss with a trusted adult such as a parent/caregiver, coach, mentor, and/or a peer. The discussion guide for this lesson is available to either download or print home.

In order to create new, more animated and more exciting slides, we are now using Canva slides for each lesson.

We would like to encourage you to set up your free Canva Pro account! Link here for educators to set up their free account.

Educators who have a free or pro account with Canva will be able to:

  • See the slides and talking points in the notes section.
  • Make a copy and save slides to add personal adjustments.
  • Share the slides with anyone who has or doesn't have a Canva account.
  • Download the slides as PDF, PowerPoint or Video (depending on if the lesson includes videos).

To download your Canva presentation in PowerPoint format:

vaping assignment for students

  • Tap on the Microsoft PowerPoint option.
  • Click the Download button on the dialog box.

Educators who want to download slides and import them into google slides please read the following:

Educators who don't have a free or pro account with canva:.

Will be able to view the slides without accessing the talking points, in which case you'll still have access to the talking points via Lesson Plan Mastersheet.  We suggest teachers at least create a free account to have better accessibility to the slides. 

Warm-up Activity

Before diving into the lessons, we suggest a couple of warm-up activities with your students! 

Warm-up Activity 1

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  • E-cigarettes have many different names: e-cigs, vapes, vape pens, Juul and so on. 
  • Ask students to shout out different names , but then explain that this curriculum will use the term e-cigarettes as they are a form of cigarettes and not a water vapor.  
  • Optional: Utilizing our printable worksheets , have students quietly write down different names  for e-cigarettes and where they have seen them .

Warm-up Activity 2

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  • Ask students to shout out what they know and what they want to know about e-cigarettes . Consider writing down what the students say, on paper, a white board, or a slide - whatever you prefer. Then, at the end of the curriculum, review what was said before and what was covered, and correct misperceptions.
  • Optional:  Utilizing our  printable worksheets , have students quietly write down  what they know  about e-cigarettes and what they want to know.

Pre- and Post- Surveys

Before getting started:.

Please register on our data dashboard platform below  before  beginning the curriculum! If you have registered before for another curriculum or grade, simply login to obtain your data collection code (teacher code).

Our dashboard helps educators obtain real-time data through short pre- and post-surveys on students' gained knowledge and intentions.

Button for Pre/Post Test

(BEFORE you teach any of the lessons)

Click the image below, right click to save on your computer to give to your students. Or simply give them the link below the QR code! 

Pre-Safety-First

qrco.de/behk6D

Post-survey.

(AFTER you teach any number of the lessons)

Pre-Safety-First

qrco.de/behk7d

Letter to parents.

If you would like to send a letter home to parents regarding this curriculum, please preview and download/print below. 

Preview Parent Letter

<<EDUCATORS:FEEL FREE TO ADD YOUR LETTERHEAD>>

<<Today’s Date>>

Dear Parent or Caregiver,

As you probably know, e-cigarette use (also known as vaping) among students has reached epidemic proportions. Students are using e-cigarettes with nicotine, cannabis, and other products.

<<Next week or on * dates>> , students will begin learning about e-cigarettes through Stanford’s “You and Me Together Vape Free.”

This new curriculum, You and Me, Together Vape-Free curriculum, is part of the Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit, is a theory-based and evidence-informed curriculum created by the Stanford Reach Lab as well as by youth, educators, and scientists across the U.S.

· Increase their knowledge about e-cigarettes and the harms they can cause.

· Gain awareness of strategies manufacturers and sellers of e-cigarettes employ to increase use among adolescents, such as deceptive and creative marketing strategies.

· Gain skills to refuse experimentation and use of e-cigarettes.

· Ultimately, to reduce and prevent e-cigarette use of any type, including nicotine, cannabis/THC, and/or non-nicotine products. The You and Me, Together Vape-Free curriculum includes 6 lessons, each providing activities, online quiz games, and worksheets in addition to presentations, resources, and other materials aimed at addressing key factors associated with youth e-cigarette use, including changing adolescents’ attitudes towards and misperceptions about e-cigarettes; increasing their refusal skills to pulls of flavors, marketing, and social media; reducing stress and depression which have been linked to e-cigarette initiation and use; improving coping; and decreasing intentions and actual use of all e-cigarette products.

This program is an age-appropriate prevention and awareness curriculum that is aimed at: validating a teen’s choice not to use, investigating the reasons teens may be curious about using, and motivating teens who are already experimenting to reduce, pause, and/or quit their usage as a step towards living vape-free.

<<** Unified School District/School **>> is committed to providing the most effective approaches to preventing the use of both nicotine and cannabis e-cigarettes in our schools and communities. We know that prevention of drug use is most effective when it is a partnership between the community, the home, and the school.

Research consistently shows that teens who learn about the risks of drugs at home, from parents or caregivers, are less likely to use substances than teens who report learning nothing about the risks at home. However, getting the message across is not easy. Thus, this newly redeveloped curriculum also offers discussion guides that can be shared between the student and a trusted adult. These essential conversations are geared towards opening up lines of

communication, not finding right or wrong answers. Parents are encouraged to talk less and listen more.

You can learn more about this curriculum at: X@

Additionally, feel free to contact me at the email address below with any questions.

<<*ADD EDUCATOR INFO>>

Learn more about addiction, the brain, nicotine, etc.

View our curriculums in different cultures and languages, faq coming soon., if you have any questions or inquiries about this curriculum or the tobacco prevention toolkit, please click below to contact us. .

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Vaping curriculum by truth increases student knowledge about e-cigarettes

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RELATED MATERIALS

Educators share how a free vaping prevention curriculum has helped their students

What should educators do if they catch students vaping in school?

An online course about the dangers of using e-cigarettes, created by Truth Initiative ® and Kaiser Permanente and in collaboration with the American Heart Association, significantly increased e-cigarette knowledge among middle and high school participants, according to a study published in Health Promotion Practice . The Truth Initiative study finds that students who completed the digital course Vaping: Know the truth saw a 15% average increase in their scores on e-cigarette knowledge compared to before completing the course. The course’s demonstrated ability to increase e-cigarette knowledge provides compelling evidence that Vaping: Know the truth is a powerful tool in a multi-pronged approach to prevent youth from vaping and encourage them to quit.

The prevalence of vaping among youth remains high, with 2.5 million middle and high school students reporting current e-cigarette use in 2022. The free, online course Vaping: Know the truth is designed for middle and high school students and uses a peer-to-peer voice, which research shows increases message receptivity and addresses young peoples’ preferences for relatable personal anecdotes from their peers.

Addressing knowledge gaps, connecting students with help to quit

Researchers analyzed the scores of more than 100,000 middle and high school students who answered a series of 20 knowledge items before and after completing the online course. They found that students’ e-cigarette knowledge significantly improved after completing the curriculum: students correctly answered over three additional questions about e-cigarettes on the post-course assessments.

Educating young people about e-cigarettes and their associated risks is an important first step in potentially preventing the onset of vaping and helping those who already vape to quit. Despite the high prevalence of use among youth, many users have limited knowledge of e-cigarettes. For example, a previous study by Truth Initiative found that 63% of young adult users of JUUL were unaware that the e-cigarette product almost always contains nicotine. In addition, young people may be unaware of the health risks associated with e-cigarette use. Nicotine is harmful and addictive to young brains , and is associated with increased symptoms of anxiety and stress. The increasing number of e-cigarettes on the market with very high nicotine levels may pose an even greater threat to the mental health of young people.

Vaping: Know the truth contains four lessons: “KNOW,” which briefly describes the history of tobacco and nicotine use; “UNCOVER,” which breaks down e-cigarette companies’ marketing tactics; “OVERCOME,” which highlights the dangers of nicotine addiction; and “CHANGE,” which examines social norms around vaping and reinforces alternative behaviors. The program provides students who already vape with resources to quit with This is Quitting , ® a text-based vaping cessation program specifically for young people with more than 600,000 enrollees.

Reaching many high-risk young people with one program

The curriculum is also a universal program, meaning that it can be effective for all students despite their risk status. Students who scored the lowest on the initial assessments had the greatest average increase in score, providing evidence that Vaping: Know the truth helps students with the greatest knowledge gaps. “Our study findings reinforce the decision to deliver the program to a broad population, reaching many students while having a significantly positive impact on those with the highest need,” the authors write.

Universal programs are a more cost-effective choice for schools, and because Vaping: Know the truth can be administered in-class or as a take-home assignment, the reach and potential impact of the program is extensive. “By offering the flexibility of digital content within multiple modules, a peer-to-peer voice, and a focus on relevant issues, Vaping: Know the truth engages young people with factual content about e-cigarette use,” the authors write.

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Comprehensive Vaping Education

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

Comprehensive vaping education Infographic F

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.

vaping assignment for students

Prevention and Early Action

Workshops and training, recovery support.

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Teen Vaping Argumentative Thesis Toolkit: Engaging Activities for Analysis

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  • v.28; 2022 Aug

A vaping risks education program for school students: Evaluation of the solve mystery toolkit

Asha hollis.

a Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

Emily Downey

Shaelene standing, janet leahy.

b Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

Kirsten Ebbert

c Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary AB, Canada

Aravind Ganesh

d Departments of Clinical Neurosciences and Community Health Sciences, and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

Associated Data

One in three grade 7 to 12 students in Canada report trying vaping or e-cigarettes. Despite consequences like nicotine addiction, impaired brain development, increased respiratory symptoms, and association with an increased risk of COVID-19 diagnosis, 48% of youth believe occasional vaping has little to no risk. There is a clear need for youth to learn about vaping consequences. We developed and piloted a novel free interactive educational program on vaping risks which has been used by over 800 grade 7 to 9 students. In post-program surveys, students reported a subjective increase in knowledge about the health consequences of vaping.

1. Introduction

E-cigarette use, or “vaping”, among children and youth in Canada is increasingly common. Thirty-four percent of youth in grades 7 to 12 report having tried e-cigarettes ( Government of Canada. Summary of results for the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2019 ). Potential serious adverse consequences of vaping for youth including nicotine addiction ( Helen and Eaton, 2018 ), impaired brain development ( Yuan et al., 2015 , England et al., 2015 ), and increased respiratory symptoms ( Stanbrook, 2019 , King et al., 2020 , Gotts et al., 2019 Sep ). Many vaping products also contain chemicals other than nicotine, which may be harmful ( Stanbrook, 2019 , Layden et al., 2020 ). E-cigarette use has also recently been associated with an increased risk of a diagnosis of COVID-19 ( Gaiha et al., 2020 , The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 2020 ). Once youth start using vaping products, it is difficult for them to stop. Among young people aged 16 to 24 who started vaping, 52.2% tried unsuccessfully to quit, an average of 4.8 times ( Al-Hamdani et al., 2020 ). Additionally, youth who vape are five times more likely to smoke combustible cigarettes ( Osibogun et al., 2020 May ). Despite this evidence, 48% of youth believe occasional vaping with nicotine has little to no risk ( Government of Canada. Summary of results for the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2019 ).

Given common misconceptions around vaping risks, the often early initiation of this addictive practice, and well-established evidence of potentially severe health effects, there is a clear need for Canadian youth to learn about the consequences of vaping. To the best of our knowledge, health curricula on vaping are lacking or inaccessible for youth in Canada. Studies of rising rates of vaping in North America have concluded that there is a need for effective intervention strategies ( Ingels et al., 2020 Sep , Harrell et al., 2017 Mar ). It has been shown that youth state they would not vape if they learned that it was harmful to their health ( Alexander et al., 2019 Mar ). In other contexts related to both health and substance use, educational interventions have been successful in giving youth improved self-management ( Bruzzese et al., 2011 ), greater knowledge, and increased likelihood of making healthier (non-drug-use) choices ( Midford et al., 2014 , McBride et al., 2004 ). An educational intervention on vaping could play an important role in reducing vaping initiation and promoting vaping cessation.

Over the past 18 months, our team developed and piloted a novel, free, interactive, multimedia educational program named the SOLVE (Short On or Off-Line Vaping Risks Education) Mystery Toolkit. Funding was provided through a Health Canada Substance Use and Addictions Program microgrant. The toolkit offers an innovative design to engage students as active participants. Toolkit content was reviewed by a team of teachers, physicians, students and public health advocates to ensure effective, current and high-quality material. The target demographic is grade 7, 8 and 9 students. The toolkit is available for use in the classroom or online to facilitate learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is designed for use by teachers and does not require any external experts or performers. Teachers are provided a user-friendly manual and access to an online portal to view their students’ answers should they use the online version.

We sought to assess increase in knowledge and ease of implementation of this novel vaping education program for middle school students by piloting it in multiple schools. From a policy perspective, this analysis will assist with optimizing implementation and take-up of this short educational program, as well as offer ideas on what educational interventions can be applied in other areas of health.

The toolkit was promoted through word-of-mouth, teacher conferences, social media and a website ( https://solvemysterytoolkit.wordpress.com ), and used by several schools in Calgary, Alberta since January 2020. Students were introduced to the toolkit by teachers in a classroom or online setting. The program contains 3 elements: a mystery introduction, knowledge development and critical reflection and application. Initially, students are not aware of the subject of the activity. They are presented with a mystery scenario through a short video and various evidence files, and are required to use these resources to discover the role of vaping in the mystery. Next, students’ understanding of the health consequences of vaping is deepened through fill-in-the-blank worksheets and videos featuring health professionals. Finally, students are asked to apply this knowledge to real-life scenarios, such as speaking to a friend about vaping ( Supplementary Figure A ).

For quality improvement (QI) purposes, teachers were given the option of inviting their students to complete an anonymous survey, in which no identifiable information was collected. Survey participation did not affect access to the toolkit. The survey included two questions that elicited self-assessments of learning: students were asked to rate their increase in knowledge about vaping, and their current knowledge on vaping after completing the toolkit. No specific questions testing knowledge on vaping risks were included. To minimize bias concerning self-referential statements, students were also asked to rate how useful they felt the toolkit would be for other students in their grade.

Since uptake of educational programs is more likely to be successful if students experience intrinsic motivation, such as enjoyment ( Ryan and Deci, 2000 ), students were asked to rate overall enjoyment, and to comment on what they liked and disliked. An optional teacher survey was recently implemented, asking teachers whether they would recommend the toolkit to colleagues, to comment on ease of use, and how it compares to other educational resources. Teachers were also given the option to provide other comments. The project did not require institutional review board approval as it fell under the umbrella of quality assurance/improvement according to the Tri-council Policy Statement Article 2.5.

We summarized the survey data, compared proportion of responses across grades using Fisher’s Exact (Stata, version 14) with a significance of p < 0.05, and conducted a brief thematic analysis of the descriptive comments ( StataCorp. Stata Statistical Software: Release 14, 2015 ).

Eight hundred twenty-eight grade 7, 8 and 9 students in Calgary, Alberta have used the toolkit. Feedback forms were optional; 58% of students (484/828) completed them with 87% (95% CI 84 – 90%) reporting an “excellent”, “good” or “satisfactory” increase in knowledge about health consequences of vaping following toolkit completion. Ninety-seven percent (95% CI 95 – 98%) described their knowledge on vaping risks after completing the toolkit as “excellent”, “good” or “satisfactory”. Ninety-percent (95% CI 86 – 92 %) felt the activities would be “excellent”, “good” or “satisfactory” for other middle school students ( Fig. 1 ). These results were similar across grades with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in the proportion of students in each grade reporting “excellent”, “good” or “satisfactory” compared to “poor” or “very poor” with respect to increase in knowledge, toolkit usefulness and knowledge after completion ( Table 1 ).

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Percentage of student responses in assessing the the SOLVE Mystery Toolkit learning measures. Assessments were defined as “very poor,” “poor,” satisfactory,” “good,” and “excellent.” Learning measures include i) increase in vaping knowledge (n = 484), ii) usefulness for other students (n = 484), and iii) knowledge about vaping risks after toolkit completion (n = 385). Responses were averaged from all responding students in grades 7–9 in Calgary, AB.

Number and percentage of student responses by grade and assessment for SOLVE Mystery Toolkit learning measures. Assessments were defined as “very poor,” “poor,” satisfactory,” “good,” and “excellent.” Learning measures include i) increase in vaping knowledge (n = 484), ii) toolkit’s usefulness for other students (n = 484), and iii) knowledge about vaping risks after toolkit completion (n = 385). Responses were averaged from all responding students in grade 7, grade 8, or grade 9, respectively.

When asked about their overall enjoyment of the toolkit as a school assignment, 77% (95% CI 73 – 80%) of students felt their enjoyment was “excellent”, “good” or “satisfactory”. Grade 9 students reported the highest enjoyment (82% said “excellent”, “good” or “satisfactory”). When describing their favourite part of the activities, 3 themes emerged: 33% mentioned the detective/mystery aspect of the toolkit, 32% mentioned hearing from real-life peers and health-professionals in the videos, and 17% mentioned learning about vaping risks. Although not included as a question in the surveys, 4% of students commented on potential behavioural changes in the future. This included statements of quitting vaping and/or planning to never vape given new knowledge, such as “[the activities] gave me an opportunity to learn more about vaping so I know not to vape myself” and “now I know not to [vape] and will not [vape]”.

Among teachers who completed the survey (n = 8 due to recent implementation), 6/8 would “definitely” recommend the toolkit to other teachers, and 2/8 would “probably” recommend it. When ranking the toolkit compared to other educational resources, 1/8 felt it was “much better”, 6/8 felt it was “better” and 1/8 felt it was “similar”. Seven out of 8 teachers felt it was easy to use. Teachers commented that “students found it interactive and fun”, “[the toolkit] was smooth and easy-to-use”, “my students really enjoyed this”, and “I would definitely use this program again”.

4. Discussion

The SOLVE Mystery Toolkit has the potential to address an important knowledge gap ( Government of Canada. Summary of results for the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2019 ), and help students understand the risks of vaping. First, the survey responses indicate that a vaping educational intervention in school as a method for teaching students about the risks of vaping deserves further study: the majority of students indicated substantial gains in their knowledge about the risks of vaping and felt confident in their knowledge of vaping following completion of the toolkit. Second, the survey data indicate that this content is highly relevant for students: most students in all three grades felt that completing these activities would be useful for their peers.

Third, a large majority of students reported at least a satisfactory level of enjoyment from this short educational program. Many students enjoyed the interactive mystery aspects of the toolkit, which engaged them in thinking about the possible effects of vaping.

Fourth, the feedback suggested that delivery of a vaping educational intervention in a “ready-to-use” toolkit format can be easily delivered in a classroom setting. Teachers do not need specialized training to employ the toolkit, no external guests are needed, and there is no cost to the school (except printing worksheets if used in class). This enables immediate scale-up. Finally, although not formally assessed, a small proportion of students provided unsolicited comments on changes in intention to vape in the future, suggesting the potential for behavioural impact.

This pilot analysis offers a preliminary assessment of this novel program. Limitations include lack of a validated measure of student learning and of student knowledge prior to program use, and optional survey completion which could lead to self-selection bias by survey completers.

5. Conclusions

Rapid uptake of the toolkit within the year following launch as well as positive feedback from teachers indicates there is a need for vaping educational interventions in schools across Canada. In feedback, students in all grades subjectively reported learning new information about the risks of vaping. Initial use of this toolkit and success among students and teachers suggest that similar approaches utilizing interactive, ready-to-use, teacher-delivered educational interventions may be of benefit in other health-education topics ( Soole et al., 2008 ). Future directions in research include a more robust study of the toolkit, including pre- and post-toolkit assessments, as well as longer-term follow up to assess impact on future vaping behaviour.

With respect to next steps in education, the toolkit will be adapted for national use by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and they will further refine it and enhance availability. Furthermore, the toolkit will be translated into French to enable national use in both official languages.

Overall, the feedback obtained for QI purposes suggests the value of this novel educational intervention and indicates promise for application to middle school education.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Asha Hollis: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Project administration. Emily Downey: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing – review & editing. Shaelene Standing: Investigation, Data curation, Writing – review & editing. Janet Leahy: Investigation, Data curation, Writing – review & editing. Kirsten Ebbert: Conceptualization, Writing – review & editing, Supervision. Aravind Ganesh: Conceptualization, Writing – review & editing, Supervision.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: AH discloses a microgrant received from Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program used to fund development of the SOLVE Mystery Toolkit. ED discloses membership in the advocacy group Stop Addicting Adolescents to Vaping and E-Cigarettes, and a monetary compensation for presenting the SOLVE Mystery Toolkit at a teachers conference with all compensation directly used to fund toolkit expenses. KE discloses Cystic Fibrosis Canada Clinical Fellowship Funding for 2020. AG declares grants (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Cardiovascular Society, Alberta Innovates, Campus Alberta Neurosciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute INOVAIT Program), consulting fees (MD Analytics, CTC Communications Corp, MyMedicalPanel, Atheneum, Deep Bench), honoraria ( Fig. 1 , Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses), meeting travel support (American Academy of Neurology, Association of Indian Neurologists in America, American Heart Association, University of Calgary), a patent (provisional US 63/024,239), editorial board memberships (Neurology: Clinical Practice, Neurology, Stroke) and ownership of stocks (SnapDx, TheRounds.com ). JL and SS have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge all of the teachers and health professionals who advised development of the SOLVE Mystery Toolkit, as well as all of the school classes who provided feedback following completion of the toolkit activities. We thank Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program for a microgrant which funded original development of the SOLVE Mystery Toolkit. We also thank Seong Eon Ha for his assistance with the initial toolkit website.

Appendix A Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101852 .

Appendix A. Supplementary data

The following are the Supplementary data to this article:

  • Government of Canada. Summary of results for the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey 2018-19. 2019.
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  • England L.J., Bunnell R.E., Pechacek T.F., Tong V.T., McAfee T.A. Nicotine and the Developing Human: A Neglected Element in the Electronic Cigarette Debate. Am J Prev Med [Internet]. 2015; 49 (2):286–293. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
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  • Osibogun O., Bursac Z., Maziak W. E-Cigarette Use and Regular Cigarette Smoking Among Youth: Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2013–2016) Am J Prev Med. 2020 May; 58 (5):657–665. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Ingels J.B., Thapa K., Shrestha S., Rajbhandari-Thapa J. Cigarette and electronic vapor product use among high school students in Georgia, 2015–2018. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2020 Sep; 1 (19) [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Harrell M.B., Weaver S.R., Loukas A., Creamer M., Marti C.N., Jackson C.D., Heath J.W., Nayak P., Perry C.L., Pechacek T.F., Eriksen M.P. Flavored e-cigarette use: characterizing youth, young adult, and adult users. Preventive medicine reports. 2017 Mar; 1 (5):33–40. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
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  • Bruzzese J.-M., Sheares B.J., Vincent E.J., Du Y., Sadeghi H., Levison M.J., Mellins R.B., Evans D. Effects of a School-based Intervention for Urban Adolescents with Asthma: A Controlled Trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011; 183 (8):998–1006. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
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  • Ryan R.M., Deci E.L. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions. Contemp Educ Psychol [Internet]. 2000; 25 (1):54–67. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361476X99910202 Available from. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • StataCorp. Stata Statistical Software: Release 14 2015 StataCorp LP College Station, TX.
  • Soole D.W., Mazerolle L., Rombouts S. School-Based Drug Prevention Programs: A Review of What Works. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology. 2008; 41 (2):259–286. [ Google Scholar ]

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Teaching about Vaping

Lesson, plan & assembly.

Part of our Teacher Toolkit Series

vaping assignment for students

In light of recent government plans to crack down on vaping among young people and as ministers are set to ban single use vapes over child addiction fears , it is crucial for educators to equip students with the knowledge and understanding they need to make informed decisions. At VotesforSchools, we believe in empowering teachers with engaging resources to address important topics like vaping in the classroom. In this blog post, we'll explore the impact of vaping on young people, discuss the government's under-age crackdown, and provide free lessons on vaping that you can use to educate your students.

Many colourful vapes

What have the Government said?

The UK Government published an article on 30th May 2023 outlining their plans to crack down on underage vaping. This includes:

  • Increased education and dedicated school police liaison officers to keep illegal vapes out of schools
  • Rules around sale of nicotine-free vapes and fines for shops selling illicit vapes to be reviewed

Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said that "it is important that non-smokers are not encouraged to start vaping. There has been a particularly worrying rise in the number of children using vapes , with companies clearly marketing these products at children using colours, flavours and cheap disposable options."

Importantly, for schools, the Government also announced that, "the health risks of vaping will be also included in Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) lessons, as part of the government’s ongoing review of RSHE, in order to further discourage children from taking up vaping."

Lungs made out of vape smoke

Vaping in Schools

Recent investigations, including one conducted by the BBC, have shed light on the potential health risks associated with vaping. Illegal vapes confiscated from school pupils were found to contain significantly higher levels of harmful substances, such as lead, nickel, and chromium, surpassing safe limits. These findings have sparked concerns among health experts and policymakers alike.

Public Health Wales (PHW) has reported that some schoolchildren addicted to vaping are using e-cigarettes during lessons and even waking up at night to vape, prompting concerns about dependency and addiction, with surveys indicating that 9-10% of year seven and year ten pupils vape daily , and the ease of availability of vapes among young people raises concerns about regulation and legislation to curb the problem.

As vaping is a relatively new habit, comprehensive studies examining the long-term health risks associated with vaping are yet to be completed. This lack of extensive research highlights the importance of engaging students in critical discussions about vaping and encouraging them to consider the potential long-term consequences.

How can you teach it?

Our free lessons on vaping, provided by VotesforSchools, prompt students to explore the existing gaps in research and consider the uncertainties surrounding this practice. The lessons ask the question, "Do we know enough about vaping?" and look at the history of smoking, the little research around vaping, and ask children to think critically about whether we know enough about the risks of vaping.

The lessons are differentiated for different age groups, with the questions outlined below:

KS1 (Aged 5-7) : Are playground trends a good thing? KS2 (Aged 7-11) : Do we know enough about how vaping affects us? KS3 & KS4 (Aged 11-18) : Should we be worried about vaping?

As part of our commitment to promoting education and well-being, we are offering free access to our vaping lessons. So far, more than 42,000 young people have taken part in the lessons, and shared their answers to the questions with The Department for Health & Social Care and SHEU . These resources are designed to facilitate classroom discussions, raise awareness, and empower students to make informed decisions. By engaging in these discussions, educators can empower students to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

Can you have too much of a good thing? (5-11) / Should we be worried about vaping? (11+)

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Vaping Prevention Lesson for Middle and High School Students

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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

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Vaping Prevention: A Guide for Parents

Vaping and Tobacco Resources

IUSD is committed to vaping prevention through education and resources for both students and families. As our vital partners, we want to ensure you have the resources necessary to address this important topic with your children. Data shows that when families talk with children, starting in upper elementary school through high school, they can help prevent or reduce vaping use among children and teens. This article provides information about what vaping is, why students may vape, the associated risks, how to recognize the signs and vaping cessation resources. Students receive age-appropriate vaping prevention information in elementary school through the D.A.R.E. program and in middle and high school through health education. Please take a moment to talk with your child(ren) about this important topic.  

What is Vaping?

According to the California Department of Education , vaping involves inhaling and exhaling vapor, or aerosol, produced by electronic cigarettes. Youth and teens may inhale substances like marijuana or flavored liquids with nicotine.

Why Are Youth and Teens Vaping?

Youth and teens vape for many reasons, including peer pressure, wanting to fit in with friends, or in some cases, an attempt to help alleviate stress. 

Although California recently passed a law prohibiting retailers from selling flavored tobacco products, kids may still have access to the flavors online or through other sources. Kids may be curious about the different flavored vaping liquids. Companies that produce vaping liquids create appealing flavors, such as apple pie or cotton candy, to attract kids and get them hooked on their products. 

Additionally, some kids may have access to vapes and vaping products through family members or products in the home. By storing products out of reach, it can prevent access.  

While vaping is more common among middle and high school students, according to experts, some students may try vaping in upper elementary grades.  

Know the Risks and Harms of Vaping

Contrary to popular belief, vaping is not harmless. Research shows that many teens are unaware of the toxic substances present in vaping liquids, including formaldehyde and acrolein, which can harm their lungs. Additionally, nicotine in these liquids is highly addictive and can impact brain development.

Identify the Signs:

Recognizing signs of vaping may be challenging, but knowing the signs can be helpful. Look out for vaping equipment like e-cigarettes, flavored liquid bottles, or small pods among your teen's belongings. E-cigarettes come in various shapes and may not resemble traditional tobacco products, often resembling a pen or flash drive.

vape devices with everyday items

Tips for Conversations with Your Child:

  • Check in frequently to see how they are doing;
  • Choose informal times to talk, such as in the car, during dinner, or while watching TV;
  • Be clear and consistent about your expectations regarding vaping and other substance use;
  • Establish family agreements together for social and extracurricular activities;
  • Let them know you care and are always there for them; and
  • Continue talking with your teens as they get older.

Vaping Cessation Resources:

The following are vaping cessation resources that may be helpful for families if needed.

  • New Lung provides services for those living in Orange County who would like to quit vaping and smoking.
  • Kick It California is a free program that helps Californians quit vaping and smoking.
  • Catch My Breath peer-led teaching approach empowers students with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about e-cigarettes and resist social pressures to vape.
  • Stanford Medicine offers a free tobacco and vaping toolkit for families.

IUSD Education and Resources for Students and Families:

In addition to age-appropriate education for elementary school students through the D.A.R.E program, students in middle and high school receive vaping prevention education through health classes and other resources available on campuses. This includes:

  • The You and Me, Together Vape-Free curriculum , which includes a middle and high school program that is 6 lessons, approximately 50 minutes each.
  • Follow-up discussion guides aimed at fostering open-ended conversations between youth and parents or trusted adults on various e-cigarette-related topics.
  • Online quiz games, worksheets, presentations, resources and other materials designed to tackle key factors associated with youth e-cigarette use.

To support parent and family education, each year, IUSD’s Irvine Parent Education Program hosts workshops to provide valuable insights and tools for addressing this topic. Please visit this page regularly for more information about upcoming parent workshops.  

For more information and resources, visit IUSD’s Vaping Resources webpage .  Let's work together to ensure the well-being of our teens.

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Texas students face tough, new mandatory punishment for vaping.

State lawmakers made vaping or possession of a vape at school punishable by mandatory assignment to a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program. School districts now have to adopt the policy to comply with the law.

A man using an electronic cigarette exhales. Schools in Houston are trying to curb the trend of vaping among teens.

Beginning Sept. 1, any Texas student caught vaping at school will face a harsher penalty under a new state law.

House Bill 114 makes vaping punishable by mandatory assignment to a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, or DAEP, run by the district.

Previously, penalties were at a district's discretion.

HB 114 also relaxes punishment for students who vape THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. Previously, students who vaped THC had been expelled.

Dallas trustee Edwin Flores said smoking anything from an e-cigarette now carries the same penalty as "bringing drugs or alcohol to school." The board on Thursday formally adopted the new policy for its student code of conduct.

“The law's, the law and our policies follow the law,” he said.

Flores, an attorney, welcomed the policy because he's also a biologist.

"As a biologist you know, to me, if you put something burning into your lungs, that's not healthy," he said. "Whether it's cigarettes, a cigar, pot or vaping, it's the same bad thing for your health."

Statistics behind HB 114 suggested up to 10% of Texas students vape.

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Study: College Students Vape Much More Than They Realize

vaping assignment for students

The research, led by Dr. Anne Buu and colleagues from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, in collaboration with UW-CTRI Director of Research Dr. Megan Piper , was published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

“What came out of this is that what we think we do and what we actually do are very different,” Piper said.

It was the first study to find that college students tended to vape much more than they thought—nine times more. While Piper expected a discrepancy, she didn’t think it’d be that big.

Dr. Megan Piper

“But it’s difficult with e-cigarettes to figure out what a ‘Use Event’ is,” Piper said. “With a cigarette, you smoke it until it’s done. With e-cigarettes, some take a couple hits or puffs and that’s it. My guess is, they remember the times when their use is longer or more intentional, not the quick or automatic ones.”

It’s akin to the difference between tracking every potato chip you eat versus sitting down with a huge bowl while watching TV and not really paying attention to how many you’re eating.

Piper said some may underreport for other reasons. “We use all sorts of schemas or mental shortcuts to understand our world. We think we’re healthy, we think we eat four helpings of vegetables. But when we actually measure it, it’s only two.” Or maybe one of the “helpings” of veggies is actually two shards of mushrooms on a slice of pizza.

“We see the goal,” she said, like having one serving of ice cream. “But then when we look at the size of the bowl, it’s actually five servings.”

Chips and TV

Human error and fuzzy memory could also be factors. “As a species, we’re terrible estimators,” Piper said. Ever try to estimate the number of gumdrops in a jar?

“It’s not until we start keeping track of what we do that we can actually change.”

The study team established 10 to 15 puffs on an e-cigarette or 10 minutes of vaping as a use event, somewhat like the use of one cigarette. “But if the study participants never smoked,” Piper said, “and are native vapers, then they’ve never used their product like that. Some have never taken 15 puffs in one sitting. There can be very different use patterns.”

There can also be variability in the length and depth of a drag or puff, Piper said. Researchers also concluded that the more dependent a college student is on vaping, the more they tended to underestimate how much they vape. Flavors can also entice people to vape.

“A lot of factors can drive use, but I think dependence was one of the key factors driving the mismatch” between the self-report and real-time tracking, Piper said.

UW-CTRI has used tools for real-time vaping reporting for past studies like Exhale and Options , and plans to continue doing so in future research.

Of course, even real-time reporting could be underestimated.

UW-CTRI researchers have considered testing a device that records use puff by puff. But such a measurement tool would need to be brand agnostic and affordable.

Piper said she was grateful to be part of the research. “Dr. Anne Buu and her colleagues have worked with our Exhale study data as well, and she has been a fantastic collaborator and methodology expert.”

Yang JJ, Ou T-S, Lin H-C, Nam JK, Piper ME , Buu A. (2023) Retrospective and Real-Time Measures of the Quantity of E-Cigarette Use: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study . Nicotine & Tobacco Research . Online June 16, 2023.

Electronic Vapor Product Use Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021

Supplements / April 28, 2023 / 72(1);93–99

Briana E. Oliver, MPH 1 ; Sherry Everett Jones, PhD, JD 2 ; Emily Devora Hops, MPH 1 ; Carmen L. Ashley, MPH 2 ; Richard Miech, PhD 3 ; Jonetta J. Mpofu, PhD 2 ,4 ( View author affiliations )

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Introduction, limitations, future directions.

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Commercial tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. Despite declines in overall tobacco product use among youths, disparities persist. This report uses biennial data from the 2015–2021 cycles of the nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Survey to assess prevalence and trends in electronic vapor product (EVP) use among high school students, including ever use, current use (past 30 days), and daily use. Data from 2021 also included usual source of EVPs among students who currently used EVPs. Overall, in 2021, 36.2% had ever used EVPs, 18.0% currently used EVPs, and 5.0% used EVPs daily, with variation in prevalence by demographic characteristics. Prevalence of ever use and current use of EVPs was higher among female students than male students. Prevalence of ever use, current use, and daily use of EVPs was lower among Asian students than Black or African American (Black), Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, White, and multiracial students. Prevalence of ever use, current use, and daily use of EVPs was higher among bisexual students than among students who were not bisexual. During 2015–2021, although ever use of EVPs decreased overall (from 44.9% to 36.2%) and current use of EVPs was stable overall, daily EVP use increased overall (from 2.0 to 5.0%) and among female (from 1.1% to 5.6%), male (from 2.8% to 4.5%), Black (from 1.1% to 3.1%), Hispanic (from 2.6% to 3.4%), multiracial (from 2.8% to 5.3%) and White (from 1.9% to 6.5%) students. Among students who currently use EVPs, 54.1% usually got or bought EVPs from a friend, family member, or someone else. Continued surveillance of EVP and other tobacco product use is necessary to document and understand youth tobacco product usage. These findings can be used to inform youth-focused tobacco prevention and control strategies at the local, state, tribal, and national levels.

Tobacco product use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States ( 1 ). The term “tobacco product” in this report refers to commercial tobacco products and not to sacred and traditional use of tobacco by certain American Indian communities. Initiation of tobacco product use during adolescence is associated with increased nicotine dependence and sustained tobacco product use into adulthood ( 2 ). Comprehensive tobacco control interventions have made substantial gains in decreasing tobacco product use among youths ( 1 – 3 ). Among U.S. high school students, current use of cigarettes declined from 36.4% in 1997 to 6.0% in 2019 ( 3 ). Although cigarette use among youths has declined, youths have engaged in the use of other tobacco products such as cigars, hookah, smokeless tobacco, and electronic vapor products (EVPs).

EVPs are known by many names including e-cigarettes, vapes, hookah pens, and mods ( 2 ). In 2018, the Surgeon General declared that e-cigarette use among youths had become an epidemic ( 4 ). EVPs use a heating element to aerosolize a liquid solution that users inhale. Vaping liquids come in a variety of flavors and typically contain nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that can affect brain development ( 4 , 5 ). Nicotine also might increase the likelihood of youths using combustible tobacco products and increase the risk for addiction to other substances ( 4 , 5 ). Moreover, EVPs can be used to deliver additional psychoactive substances such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ( 6 ). In 2019, vitamin E acetate, an additive sometimes found in THC-containing EVPs, was linked to e-cigarette- or vaping product use-associated lung injuries ( 6 ).

Multiple factors influence the use of EVPs and other tobacco products among youths, such as targeted marketing to youths by the tobacco industry, the appealing flavors in EVPs, misperceptions that vaping relieves stress, peer and family influences, and low perceptions of harm ( 1 – 5 , 7 ). Other risk factors that prime youths for experimentation with tobacco products and other substances include social isolation, grief, trauma, and stress; these risk factors were commonly seen during the COVID-19 pandemic ( 8 ). The 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that, among youths who currently use e-cigarettes, the most common reasons for use were feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression and the “high or buzz” associated with nicotine use ( 7 ).

Continued surveillance of tobacco product use among youths is crucial for guiding and evaluating tobacco prevention and control strategies at the local, state, tribal, and national levels. This report presents the latest data from the 2021 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to assess ever, current, and daily use of EVPs among U.S. high school students and usual source of obtaining EVPs. This report also presents data from previous YRBSs (2015, 2017, and 2019) to examine trends in EVP use over time. These finding can be used to inform youth-focused tobacco prevention and control strategies at the local, state, tribal, and national levels.

Data Source

This report includes data from the 2015 (N = 15,624), 2017 (N = 14,765), 2019 (N = 13,677), and 2021 (N = 17,232) YRBSs, a cross-sectional, school-based survey conducted biennially since 1991. Each survey year, CDC collects data from a nationally representative sample of public and private school students in grades 9–12 in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Additional information about YRBS sampling, data collection, response rates, and processing is available in the overview report of this supplement ( 9 ). The prevalence estimates for all tobacco product use questions for the entire study sample and stratified by sex, race and ethnicity, grade, and sexual orientation are available at https://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Default.aspx . The full YRBS questionnaire, data sets, and documentation are available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm . This activity was reviewed by CDC and was conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.*

Student demographic characteristics analyzed included sex (female or male), sexual identity (heterosexual, gay or lesbian, bisexual, and other or questioning), and race and ethnicity. For sexual identity, the “other or questioning” category included students who selected, “I describe my sexual identity some other way” or “I am not sure about my sexual identity (questioning).” Students were classified into seven racial and ethnic categories, including American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN), Asian, Black or African American (Black), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (NH/OPI), White, Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic), and persons of multiple races (multiracial). (Persons of Hispanic origin might be of any race but are categorized as Hispanic; all racial groups are non-Hispanic.)

On the basis of how the questions were asked in the survey, electronic vapor products in this report refer to products “such as JUUL, SMOK, Suorin, Vuse, and blu” and include “e-cigarettes, vapes, vape pens, e-cigars, e-hookahs, hookah pens, and mods.” This study included four questions about EVP use, including ever use of EVPs, current EVP use (≥1 day during the 30 days before the survey), daily use of EVPs (during the 30 days before the survey), and usual source of EVPs (among youths who currently use EVPs) ( Table 1 ).

Analyses were completed using SUDAAN (version 11.0.3; RTI International) to account for the complex survey design and weighting. Prevalence estimates and 95% CIs for questions assessing ever, current, and daily EVP use were calculated overall and for each sex, racial and ethnic, and sexual identity group. Statistically significant pairwise differences by demographic characteristics were determined by t -tests with Taylor series linearization. In addition, prevalence of behavior reported in 2021 was compared with the prevalence in 2019 by using t -tests with Taylor series linearization. Differences between prevalence estimates were considered statistically significant if the t -test p value was <0.05. Only statistically significant findings are described.

To identify temporal trends in EVP use, logistic regression analyses were used to model linear time effects while controlling for sex, grade (9, 10, 11, and 12), and race and ethnicity ( 10 ). EVP use was first introduced into the YRBS questionnaire in 2015; therefore, trends during 2015–2021 were examined for ever use of EVPs, current use of EVPs, and daily use of EVPs by sex and race and ethnicity. Students were presented with more response options for the question asking about sexual identity in 2021, which precludes the ability to examine trends in EVP use across sexual identity groups. Additional information about the methods used to conduct YRBS trend analyses are provided in the overview report of this supplement ( 9 ).

Ever Used an Electronic Vapor Product

Overall, 36.2% of high school students ever used EVPs in 2021 ( Table 2 ). The prevalence of ever use of an EVP varied by sex, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity. For example, the prevalence of EVP use was higher among female students (40.9%) than male students (32.1%); higher among Hispanic (40.4%), multiracial (36.8%), White (36.7%), NH/OPI (36.1%), Black (33.6%), and AI/AN students (33.5%) than Asian students (19.5%); and higher among bisexual students (48.9%) than heterosexual (34.7%), gay or lesbian (34.4%), and other or questioning students (33.5%).

During 2015–2021, a linear decrease occurred in ever use of an EVP (from 44.9% to 36.2%), overall and among male (from 46.1% to 32.1%), AI/AN (from 61.3% to 33.5%), Black (from 42.4% to 33.6%), Hispanic (from 51.9% to 40.4%), NH/OPI (from 61.4% to 36.1%), and multiracial students (from 48.1% to 36.8%) ( Table 3 ). In addition, from 2019 to 2021, decreases were observed in ever use of an EVP, overall (from 50.1% to 36.2%), among female (from 50.7% to 40.9%), male (from 49.6% to 32.1%), AI/AN (from 57.9% to 33.5%), Black (from 40.0% to 33.6%), Hispanic (from 49.5% to 40.4%), NH/OPI (from 58.7% to 36.1%), White (from 54.7% to 36.7%), and multiracial students (from 55.3% to 36.8%).

Current Electronic Vapor Product Use

Overall, 18.0% of students currently used an EVP in 2021. The prevalence of current EVP use varied by sex, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity. For example, the prevalence of EVP use was higher among female students (21.4%) than male students (14.9%); higher among NH/OPI (24.7%), AI/AN (23.2%), White (20.3%), Hispanic (17.8%), multiracial (17.1%), and Black students (14.0%) than Asian students (5.5%); and higher among bisexual students (29.0%) than heterosexual (16.4%), gay or lesbian (15.8%), and other or questioning students (15.7%).

During 2015–2021, there was no linear change in current use of an EVP overall; however, there was a linear increase among female students (22.6% in 2015; 10.5% in 2017; 33.5% in 2019; 21.4% in 2021) and a linear decrease among male students (from 25.6% to 14.9%). There also was a linear decrease among Asian students (from 14.5% to 5.5%), but not among any other racial or ethnic group. From 2019 to 2021, decreases were observed in current use of an EVP overall (from 32.7% to 18.0%), among female (from 33.5% to 21.4%) and male (from 32.0% to 14.9%) students, and among AI/AN (from 47.3% to 23.2%), Asian (from 13.0% to 5.5%), Black (from 19.7% to 14.0%), Hispanic (from 31.2% to 17.8%), NH/OPI (from 38.8% to 24.7%), White (from 38.3% to 20.3%), and multiracial students (from 33.5% to 17.1%).

Daily Use of Electronic Vapor Products

Overall, 5.0% of students reported daily use of an EVP in 2021. The prevalence of daily use of an EVP varied by race and ethnicity and sexual identity. For example, the prevalence of daily use of an EVP was higher among NH/OPI (8.0%), White (6.5%), multiracial (5.3%), Hispanic (3.4%), and Black students (3.1%) than among Asian students (1.2%). Prevalence also was higher among bisexual students (7.5%) than among other or questioning (4.6%) and heterosexual students (4.4%).

During 2015–2021, a linear increase occurred in daily use of an EVP overall (from 2.0% to 5.0%), among female (from 1.1% to 5.6%) and male students (from 2.8% to 4.5%), and among Black (from 1.1% to 3.1%), Hispanic (from 2.6% to 3.4%), White (from 1.9% to 6.5%), and multiracial students (from 2.8% to 5.3%). From 2019 to 2021, decreases were observed in daily use of an EVP use overall (from 7.2% to 5.0%), among male students (from 7.9% to 4.5%), and among Hispanic (from 5.2% to 3.4%) and White students (from 9.3% to 6.5%).

Usual Source of Electronic Vapor Products

Among the 18.0% of students who currently used EVPs, 54.1% indicated they usually “got or bought them from a friend, family member, or someone else.” Other responses to the question about where students usually obtained EVP included, “bought them in a vape shop or tobacco shop” (12.4%), “bought them in a convenience store, supermarket, discount store, or gas station” (6.8%), “bought them at a mall or shopping center kiosk or stand” (0.5%), “bought them on the Internet, such as from a product website, vape store website, or other website like eBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist” (1.7%), “took them from a store or another person” (2.8%), or “got them in some other way” (21.7%).

In 2021, more than one in three (36.2%) students had ever used EVPs and almost one in five (18.0%) students currently used EVPs. Overall, ever EVP use decreased and daily EVP use increased during 2015–2021; however, ever, current, and daily use of EVPs decreased from 2019 to 2021, a finding that is consistent with findings from other national surveillance systems, such as Monitoring the Future ( 11 ).

The 2021 YRBS documented variation in the patterns of EVP use between demographic groups. Prevalence of ever use and current use of EVPs were higher among female students than male students. During 2019–2022, adolescent females reported higher rates of eating disorders, emotional distress, anxiety, and depression related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all of which might explain increases in EVP use and other substances ( 12 ). Youths who engage in vaping behaviors as a method of dealing with stressors can potentially create a cycle of nicotine dependence because symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include symptoms of anxiety and depression ( 1 ).

This report disaggregated bisexual students from lesbian and gay students, revealing differences in EVP use among these two groups. Bisexual students had a higher prevalence of ever and current EVP use than lesbian or gay, other or questioning, or heterosexual students. This finding contributes to the evidence base that tobacco product usage among sexual minority (e.g., lesbian or gay, bisexual, and other or questioning [LGBQ+]) youths differs by sexual orientation ( 13 ).

EVP use was lower among Asian students in comparison with other racial and ethnic student groups. In general, prevalence of ever use, current use, and daily use of EVPs among Asian students was lower than among Black, Hispanic, NH/OPI, White, and multiracial students. This finding might be explained by other research that found social and cultural influences were protective factors against tobacco product and other substance use behaviors among Asian youths ( 14 ). Identifying risk and protective factors among youths is essential for developing tobacco prevention and cessation programs that address the various needs of youths.

It is concerning that daily EVP use increased among Black, Hispanic, multiracial and White students during 2015–2021. Observed patterns of increased daily use might be, in part, related to the increase in nicotine concentrations in U.S. e-cigarettes ( 15 ). A recent study found that, during 2013–2018, the average nicotine concentration in e-cigarettes sold increased by more than 80% for all flavor categories and rechargeable e-cigarettes ( 15 ). Exposure to nicotine during adolescence can affect learning, memory, and attention and increases risk for future nicotine dependence ( 2 , 4 ). Evidence-based cessation programs that are tailored and culturally specific to youths are needed to help youths who are nicotine dependent abstain from tobacco product usage.

Overall, ever use, current use, and daily use of EVPs among high school students decreased from 2019 to 2021. Certain factors might have contributed to this decline, including the implementation of policies restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided youths fewer opportunities to purchase EVPs or interact with peers who use tobacco products and other substances ( 4 , 11 , 12 ). Regulatory efforts are ongoing at the national, state, and local levels to restrict youths access to EVPs and, thus, decrease the use of EVPs among youths. Findings from the 2021 YRBS found that among those who currently use EVPs, more than half (54.1%) got their EVPs from a friend, family member, or someone else, indicating students are finding other means to purchase or gain access to EVPs.

General limitations for YRBS are available in the overview report of this supplement ( 9 ). The findings in this report are subject to at least three additional limitations. First, the YRBS question addressing how students usually obtained EVPs limited respondents to only one response. Students might have obtained these products through multiple sources; therefore, the extent to which students use various sources are likely underrepresented. Second, EVP use as defined in this survey was not limited to vaping products that deliver nicotine. Therefore, results might overestimate nicotine-containing EVP use among youths. Finally, it was not possible to assess EVP use among subpopulations within the racial and ethnic categories included in this report (e.g., disaggregating students by racial and ethnic subgroups: Indian, Vietnamese, and Korean). Thus, the categories for race and ethnicity in this survey might not reflect the diversity of participants’ identities, and potentially masks nuanced differences in EVP use within racial and ethnic populations.

The declines in ever, current, and daily EVP use among high school students during 2019–2021 is encouraging; however, prevalence of EVP use among students remains high. To reduce prevalence of EVP use among youths, public health professionals should consider using community-based participatory research to develop tobacco prevention and cessation programs that are tailored to youths ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20147663 ). For example, an intervention was piloted among rural high school students in Kentucky where students were informed about the risks for e-cigarette use by their peers and provided cessation resources and information on how to help their friends abstain from cigarette use ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7789399 ). Results of that study yielded positive outcomes of the peer-led intervention related to increased awareness of risks associated with e-cigarette use and the desire of students to address the e-cigarette epidemic in their communities.

Future research could explore factors that influence EVP use among youths (e.g., neighborhood poverty or socioeconomic status), access to health care, access to healthy food, and opportunities for physical activity. Such factors can be conceptualized as social determinants of health that might influence EVP use among students. Addressing social determinants of health when developing youth-centric tobacco control programs could improve evidence-based interventions to reduce tobacco product use initiation among students and provide tailored cessation services to youths who use tobacco products.

Future research could explore EVP use among youths with identities not examined in this report. There is a dearth of research describing EVP use among nonbinary, gender fluid, gender expansive youths ( https://www.edi.nih.gov/people/sep/lgbti/safezone/terminology ); those whose sexual orientation is not captured by the categories of “lesbian,” “gay” or “bisexual”; and youths with intersectional identities including those who are LGBQ+ and of certain racial and ethnic minority groups. Future research that uses an intersectional approach to understanding EVP use among LGBQ+ youths and youths of various racial and ethnic identities can inform evidence-based tobacco control interventions and promising practices for persons most at risk for EVP use.

Finally, approximately half of high school youths who currently use EVPs were getting or buying these products from a friend, family member, or someone else. These findings provide an opportunity to use practices that focus on the social influences of tobacco product usage among youths. Programs like the Truth Initiative’s This is Quitting ( https://truthinitiative.org/thisisquitting ) are tailored to youths to address the social and behavioral factors that lead to EVP and other tobacco product use. Evidence-based interventions at the individual- and community-level can provide tools to youths that address peer pressure, encourage self-efficacy and goal-setting, and increase the knowledge base of EVP use and associated harms to reduce or eliminate tobacco product use among youths ( https://catch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/SAMHSA-CATCH-My-Breath-Reducing-Vaping-Among-Youth-and-Young-Adults.pdf ).

EVP use among U.S. high school students remains a public health concern. During 2015–2021, no linear decrease was observed in current EVP use among high school students overall; a linear increase was observed among female students who reported current EVP use. In addition, daily EVP use increased overall and among female, male, Black, Hispanic, multiracial, and White students during 2015–2021. Eliminating EVP use among youths requires evidence-based strategies and practices that are culturally relevant and tailored to the communities most at risk for sustained EVP use. Continued surveillance of EVP use among youths is necessary to guide and evaluate public health strategies at the local, state, tribal and national levels.

Corresponding Author: Briana E. Oliver, MPH, Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC. Telephone: 404-498-3142; Email: [email protected] .

1 Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC; 2 Division of Adolescent and School Health, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, TB Prevention, CDC; 3 Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; 4 U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Rockville, MD

Conflicts of Interest

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

* See e.g., 45 C.F.R. part 46.102(l)(2), 21 C.F.R. part 56; 42 U.S.C. §241(d); 5 U.S.C. §552a; 44 U.S.C. §3501 et seq.

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  • Donaldson CD, Fecho CL, Ta T, et al. Vaping identity in adolescent e-cigarette users: A comparison of norms, attitudes, and behaviors. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021;223:108712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108712 PMID:33882430
  • Romberg AR, Miller Lo EJ, Cuccia AF, et al. Patterns of nicotine concentrations in electronic cigarettes sold in the United States, 2013–2018. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019;203:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.05.029 PMID:31386973

* The introduction to the electronic vapor products section of the YRBS questionnaire stated: “The next 3 questions ask about electronic vapor products, such as JUUL, SMOK, Suorin, Vuse, and blu. Electronic vapor products include e-cigarettes, vapes, vape pens, e-cigars, e-hookahs, hookah pens, and mods.”

*Refer to Table 1 for variable definitions. † On the basis of t -test analysis using Taylor series linearization, p<0.05. Responses from female students were significantly different than male students. Responses from Asian students were significantly different than American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN), Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (NH/OPI), White, and multiracial students. Responses from Black students were significantly different than Hispanic students. Responses from Bisexual students were significantly different than heterosexual, gay or lesbian, and other or questioning students. § On the basis of t -test analysis using Taylor series linearization, p<0.05. Responses from female students were significantly different than male students. Responses from Asian students were significantly different than AI/AN, Black, Hispanic, NH/OPI, White, and Multiracial students. Responses from Black students were significantly different than AI/AN, Hispanic, NH/OPI, and White students. Responses from bisexual students were significantly different than heterosexual, gay or lesbian, and other or questioning students. ¶ On the basis of t -test analysis using Taylor series linearization, p<0.05. Responses from Asian students were significantly different than Black, Hispanic, NH/OPI, White, and multiracial students. Responses from Black students were significantly different than White and multiracial students. Responses from Hispanic students were significantly different than White and multiracial students. Responses from White students were significantly different than multiracial students. Responses from bisexual students were significantly different than heterosexual and other or questioning students. ** N=17,232 respondents. Because the state and local questionnaires differ by jurisdiction, students in these schools were not asked all national YRBS questions. Therefore, the total number (N) of students answering each question varied. Percentages in each category are calculated on the known data. †† Persons of Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) origin might be of any race but are categorized as Hispanic; all racial groups are non-Hispanic. §§ Includes students who responded, “I describe my sexual identity some other way” or “I am not sure about my sexual identity (questioning).”

*Refer to Table 1 for variable definitions. † 2015: N = 15,624 respondents; 2017: N = 14,765 respondents; 2019: N = 13,677 respondents; 2021: N = 17,232 respondents. Because the state and local questionnaires differ by jurisdiction, students in these schools were not asked all national YRBS questions. Therefore, the total number (N) of students answering each question varied. Percentages in each category are calculated on the known data. § Logistic regression models were used to assess linear trends for 2015–2021, controlling for sex, race and ethnicity, and grade, p<0.05. ¶ On the basis of t -test analysis using Taylor series linearization, p<0.05. ** Persons of Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) origin might be of any race but are categorized as Hispanic; all racial groups are non-Hispanic.

Suggested citation for this article: Oliver BE, Jones SE, Hops ED, Ashley CL, Miech R, Mpofu JJ. Electronic Vapor Product Use Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021. MMWR Suppl 2023;72(Suppl-1):93–99. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7201a11 .

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All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users are referred to the electronic PDF version ( https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr ) and/or the original MMWR paper copy for printable versions of official text, figures, and tables.

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The Oakland Press

Local News | Royal Oak groups highlighting dangers of vaping…

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Local news | royal oak groups highlighting dangers of vaping for students, nonprofits seek to get parents involved.

vaping assignment for students

The good news is that fewer high school students report vaping nicotine in e-cigarettes in a recent national government survey.

The bad news:10 percent of middle and high school students reported some form of tobacco product use, with e-cigarettes being the most popular, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Use of vaping among school students remains a cause for concern for educators, parents and prevention groups such as the Royal Oak Community Coalition (ROCC), a nonprofit that works to curb illegal access and reduce the use of nicotine, and other drugs, among youth.

“Vaping is everywhere,” said Melissa Morris, ROCC’s executive director. “In Royal Oak it is at the high school, the middle school, and even some kids in the elementary schools are starting to vape.”

Morris is set to lead a presentation April 25 and talk with parents about the effects of vaping on teenagers and why they need to get involved. The location is pending and will either be via Zoom or at the Royal Oak Schools Administrative Offices, 800 DeVillen Ave.

“Vaping is bad for children’s lungs and it’s not healthy and it is not safe,” Morris said. “I just want parents to know that kids need to be taught about this and reach as many people as possible.”

Morris said she has gone into gas stations and vaping shops in the city and found that a couple of them were selling to minors.

The problem of children vaping can only be addressed if parents get involved and talk to their own daughters and sons about the issue, she said.

Tiffany Vosburg, president of the Royal Oak Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), has already talked to her children. Her daughter, Heather, is a sixth grader at the middle school, and her son, Colin attends Royal Oak High School. 

 “You hear about vaping,” among students, Vosburg said, “but it’s not something that’s talked about. I’ve learned more about it on social media, at the PTSA, and through webinars.”

She has talked to the middle school principal and realized that vaping nicotine is a bigger problem than most people think. 

The schools give students information about the effects of vaping in health classes, Vosburg said, but more parents need to learn about it.

She raised the issue with her children because her daughter was about to attend middle school and her son has seeing vaping at go on at the high school level, she said.

“The kids have seen vaping in videos, TikTok, and commercials,” Vosburg said, “and we have talked about the health effects, as well as how to respond to peer pressure.”

E-cigarettes and other devices are illegal for anyone under 21 to possess.

Royal Oak School Board of Education President Erika Alexander works professionally in addiction treatment. 

“What we are seeing across the country and in Royal Oak we have seen in the past with cigarette smoking among adolescents,” she said. “But vaping is a lot easier to disguise and use without parents and teachers being aware.”

Vape products are becoming smaller and easier to conceal.

Vaping is not an epidemic in Royal Oak Schools, Alexander said, adding she was unable to quantify the level of e-cigarette use among students.

“Some students are using it in an experimental way and some in a regular way,” she said.

Where Alexander works she sees there are a number of children referred for vaping problems.

“We see a lot of kids who are struggling to quit,” she said. 

 Children who become addicted to nicotine from vaping say they continue to do it as a way to reduce stress or anxiety.

“Some say it helps them relax,” Alexander said, “so, they are using vaping without understanding it’s something that’s bad for them, or realizing the consequences of their use.”

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VAPING PREVENTION & EDUCATION

Teach youth about the harms of vaping nicotine.

Browse science-based, standards-mapped classroom resources created by FDA's Center for Tobacco Products that aim to prevent vaping among middle and high school students. Choose from interactive quizzes, school-wide surveys, and creative advertising messages.

Lesson Plans

Find complete standards-mapped lesson plans for instruction in class or online, including student activities that are ready to share with evaluation guidelines. See fact-based print and download materials that educate students about the health risks of vaping.

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Teens and Vaping: The Real Health Consequences

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Vaping Research Project

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Sizing Up E⁠-⁠Cigarette Marketing

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The Risks of Vaping Magazine

Conversation starters: videos and blog posts.

Don't have time in your curriculum for a full lesson plan? FDA has produced short videos and informative blog posts about how to help teens understand the dangers of vaping nicotine.

My Vaping Mistake: Videos of Real Teen Experiences

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Must-Know Facts About E⁠-⁠Cigarettes: Videos

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How to Spot Stealth and Disposable E⁠-⁠Cigarettes

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How to Discuss E⁠-⁠Cigarettes and Nicotine Addiction With Youth

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More New Brunswick schools are installing high-tech sensors in their bathrooms to detect student vaping.

Vaping seems to be happening in schools more often, said Darla Day, director of schools for the Fredericton area in the Anglophone West School District. 

It refers to the use of handheld electronic devices such as e-cigarettes to inhale heated aerosol products that often include nicotine or cannabis, propylene glycol, glycerol and other chemicals, according to Health Canada.

Students are vaping in bathrooms, hallways and other common areas, Day said.

Vaping is a little easier to conceal than smoking, she said, and is popular with teens, but it's not a healthy practice or one that school officials promote.

"It's like smoking cigarettes," she said. "It's not permitted, and we don't want it happening."

A smiling woman on a white background

Day is involved in overseeing the installation of HALO devices in the schools that are asking for them. 

HALO units can detect the difference between vaping and smoking, she said. They can also pick up sounds such as yelling or fighting.

More than 40 HALO detectors have been installed in 12 schools in the Anglophone West district, said Day. Most of them are in high schools, but there are also a couple in middle schools and kindergarten to Grade 12 schools.

Some have had them for a couple of years already and others are asking for them, she said.

Besides the original purpose of curbing vaping, schools are reporting other benefits, said Day.

"It's also reducing the amount of vandalism," she said.

That's because the machine can alert administrators to all sorts of things going on in bathrooms that shouldn't be.

vaping assignment for students

The device detects loud noises, such as banging if something's being destroyed. It can also detect a cry for help, said Day.

And it can detect other gases and substances such as THC or marijuana and carbon monoxide.

There aren't any cameras in bathrooms, but the vape detector software is attached to school surveillance systems and school administration computers and cellphones, she said.

The administrator gets an alert, which includes the time, date, location and whatever the specific issue may be.

The units are pricey, said Day. Each costs more than $2,000, including the device, ethernet connection and installation. The district is covering part of the expense and getting schools to cost share, she said.

"We do see its value," said Day.

Nevertheless, she advises school administrators to think carefully about it. The alerts can be quite frequent, said Day, and administrators have to figure out what they can reasonably respond to and what the response should be.

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Some schools are instead choosing to focus on education to try to get students cut back on vaping and marijuana use, said Day.

In Anglophone North School District, vaping has been an issue at high schools and middle schools, said Meredith Caissie, spokesperson for the district.

"Staff continue to monitor and address [the issue] daily, on a case by case basis," she said.

One school in Anglophone North is piloting the use of vape detectors, and has seven units installed. The impact of the detectors will be evaluated at the end of the school year, Caissie said.

A portrait of a smiling woman wearing a black top and glasses, with her hair pulled back, standing in front of a birch tree.

The health promotion group NB Lung supports school measures to curb vaping, whether through education or with vaping detectors.

"The urgent need for education to help youth avoid (and quit) vaping cannot be understated," said Melanie Langille, the group's president and CEO, in an emailed statement.

She also applauded school administrators for installing vape detectors.

"Youth vaping rates are rising at an alarming rate," said Langille.

Research indicates many youth who begin vaping eventually start smoking cigarettes, she said.

The reported increase in student vaping comes despite a flavour ban passed by the New Brunswick government a few years ago that was intended to make the products less attractive to children.

"We caution that the innovation of the industry continues to develop more discreet devices," Langille said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

vaping assignment for students

Jennifer Sweet has been telling the stories of New Brunswickers for over 20 years. She is originally from Bathurst, got her journalism degree from Carleton University and is based in Fredericton. She can be reached at 451-4176 or [email protected].

With files from Shift

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Houston Chronicle

Hundreds of Houston-area students disciplined for vaping under new Texas law

H undreds of students in Houston-area school districts were sent to disciplinary alternative education programs in the first three months of a new Texas law meant to curb youth vaping, a move that some school administrators and advocates say is too punitive.

The new state law, House Bill 114, requires public schools to remove any student from class who is caught with an e-cigarette and send them to a separate center designated for students in serious trouble. The law went into effect Sept. 1.

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In the largest five school districts in the Houston region, more than 1,300 students were disciplined for using, possessing or selling an e-cigarette from September through early December, according to data collected by the Chronicle.

The majority of those students were sent to a DAEP, as required by the law, although some received in- or out-of-school suspensions. The law, which has no enforcement mechanism, allows districts to give students in-school suspension when there is no capacity at their alternative discipline programs. 

In Houston ISD, the largest district in the state, nearly 370 students were placed in a DAEP for vaping through early December, according to the district, representing a small fraction of the district’s roughly 183,000 students.

However, HISD is now exempt from the law under its newly adopted District of Innovation plan , with the district saying it opposes the zero-tolerance policy because it provided no flexibility, even for first-time offenders.

More than 50 other districts have similar innovation plans seeking exemption from the e-cigarette statute, according to the Texas Education Agency.

In HISD, teachers and principals can handle vaping discipline on a case-by-case basis, according to Joseph Sam, an HISD spokesperson. Placing students in a DAEP setting disrupts their learning and contributes to lower graduation rates, he said.

“If this law negatively impacts even one student’s chances of graduating on time, it is unacceptable,” Sam said.  

Celeste Barretto Milligan, an HISD parent and member of the District Advisory Committee, said she believes the mandatory, severe consequence was unjust, especially for something that “amounts to a very common mistake,” and could contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline.

“I have two middle school boys,” she said. “I would hate for them to be held accountable at that level for such a mistake.”

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In Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, the second largest district in the area, 267 students were disciplined for e-cigarette use through early December, according to disciplinary records. Most of the students received a DAEP placement, in some cases multiple times, while about a third of them received in-school suspension.

Data shows that high school students made up 78% of the students punished for vaping in the district, although a handful of elementary students were also caught with an e-cigarette, the youngest in first grade.

More than 150 students were disciplined for e-cigarettes in Conroe ISD during roughly the same timeframe, according to the district, with nearly 80 percent of them getting an on-campus DAEP placement for an average of four days.

In Katy ISD, records show that 374 students were disciplined for vaping, with nearly 45 percent of them sent to an off-campus DAEP and 38 percent punished with out-of-school suspension. The average length of the disciplinary placement was 14 days, according to the data, and those punished for vaping include 140 Hispanic students, 112 white students and 94 Black students.  

Fort Bend ISD records show that 179 students were disciplined for e-cigarette use, well short of the numbers caught with marijuana.

Rep. Ed Thompson, R-Pearland, said he introduced the vaping measure after learning that some Brazoria County schools and law enforcement agencies were overwhelmed by the problem. Many students in the area were referred to the criminal justice system for using or selling e-cigarettes containing nicotine or marijuana, he said.

Thompson said he hoped the bill would give schools the ability to deal with those students internally —  with a punishment severe enough to "put the fear of God into these kids" — rather than stretching thin county resources. He also hoped to keep kids from getting a criminal record for "making a really dumb decision one time." 

It seems to have had the intended effect so far, at least locally, with Brazoria County law enforcement reporting a steep drop in youth vaping cases, Thompson said.

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Several advocates said they believe removing a student from their home campus is too severe a consequence. 

Charlie Gagan, the Texas advocacy director for the American Lung Association, said his organization disagrees with the new law and instead hopes lawmakers will do more to hold retailers accountable for selling nicotine products to children.

“We don’t think this punitive response is the right way to deal with what is really an addiction problem,” he said. “We really wish there was more effort to hold the adults responsible as opposed to just doing more to punish students.”

Students additionally should be supported with cessation and education resources, he said, such as programs offered by the lung association or a group called Truth Initiative.

“We hear stories of teachers and principals confiscating dozens of these a week, if not a day, so we understand that we’re asking a lot of them already…but removing a kid from a classroom and sending them to a disciplinary program is not going to fix the underlying issue,” Gagan said.

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More than 2.1 million students reported using e-cigarettes in 2023, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey released in November by the FDA and CDC, with a quarter of them vaping every day. The survey showed a decline in the number of high schoolers using e-cigarettes last year but a rise in overall tobacco use among middle school students.

Vaping devices are easy for kids to hide from parents and teachers, as they can be disguised as pens or highlighters, said Melissa Igo, director of coastal coalitions with the Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol. Other stash gear includes backpacks, water bottles or scrunchies with secret compartments, she said.

"If you are not an engaged adult with your children, it is very, very easy for them to have access to these things," Igo said. "So we encourage conversations, we encourage being a nosy parent. Ask the questions, look at their things."

The council works mostly on stopping kids from vaping in the first place by offering educational programs in schools and posting informative billboards beside highways. Kids vape for a reason, Igo said, whether it is experimentation or stress relief or hunger. Those underlying issues must be addressed with restorative practices and educational curriculum rather than solely punitive measures, she said. 

“Otherwise, they’re just going to see this over and over and over again, and the same students probably over and over and over again,” she said.

RELATED : HISD becomes District of Innovation to waive some state laws

Dr. Steven Kelder, a professor at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, said he hopes the new bill will heighten awareness around the harms of e-cigarattes, which can be highly addictive, especially for kids. There may additionally be long-term health risks associated with the cancer-causing chemicals and ultra-fine particles contained in e-cigarettes, Kelder said, although it is too soon to say for sure.

In addition to discipline, Kelder agreed that it is important to meet the problem with prevention, intervention and cessation resources. The new law does not require such resources but notes that a student and their parents may receive educational and support services for offenses involving drugs, alcohol or e-cigarettes.

“Kids that are caught in school, many of them may be addicted, and if they’re addicted, then they should be directed towards treatment services,” he said. “Disciplining your way out of it without treatment might not be the best way to go.”

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  4. Teen Vaping Prevention for Teachers and Families: Free Guide

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  5. Consequences of Vaping in School

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  6. Smoking + Vaping by EC_Resources

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  1. You need to see: The Danger Of Vaping In Schools #youtubeshorts #shorts #vaping #school

COMMENTS

  1. Vaping and Tobacco

    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

  2. For Students

    For Students: Classroom Assignments and Facts about Vaping You'll find your classroom assignments on this page, but the learning doesn't have to stop there. You'll also find some basic information about vaping and e⁠-⁠cigarettes—Vaping 101—and questions that teens frequently ask about e⁠-⁠cigarettes and addiction.

  3. Vaping Health Consequences Lesson Plan

    1. Tell students you are about to read them a statement, and they should prepare to anonymously write down their response to it on a slip of paper, using: strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree, and don't know. Read the statement aloud: Electronic cigarettes are not harmful to your health.

  4. Get the Facts About Vaping Activity

    1. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Answer the questions below before reading any of the resources. Electronic cigarettes are not harmful to your health. 1. Most e⁠-⁠cigarettes contain only water and flavoring. True False 2. Like tobacco smoke, the aerosol given off by an e⁠-⁠cigarette can contain dangerous chemicals. True False 3.

  5. You and Me, Together Vape-Free Curriculum

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    About Vaping interactive • Optional: Video at whatsinavape.com • 6 pieces of blank paper • 6 sticky notes per student • Family resource sheets Lesson Grades 6-8 Help your students understand the health impacts associated with using e-cigarettes. mean it is relevant to the statement. Guide students to understand that

  7. PDF How to Talk to Students about Vaping

    lives of your students. You can make a real difference by engaging in meaningful conversations about the dangers of e-cigarette use (also known as vaping) for young people and ways to quit. • Share that most students do not vape or use other tobacco products—and most students who vape want to quit. • Provide students with tips for coping ...

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    Purpose This Guide is designed to help educators deepen their knowledge and skills to address vaping as part of the elementary Health and Physical Education curriculum, 2019. Information in this guide focuses on the following: "why" it is important to have conversations about vaping with elementary students at different stages of their development;

  9. Vaping curriculum by truth increases student knowledge about e-cigarettes

    The Truth Initiative study finds that students who completed the digital course Vaping: Know the truth saw a 15% average increase in their scores on e-cigarette knowledge compared to before completing the course. The course's demonstrated ability to increase e-cigarette knowledge provides compelling evidence that Vaping: Know the truth is a ...

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    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.

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    1. Introduction E-cigarette use, or "vaping", among children and youth in Canada is increasingly common. Thirty-four percent of youth in grades 7 to 12 report having tried e-cigarettes ( Government of Canada. Summary of results for the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2019 ).

  13. How Vaping In School Affects Teachers and the Classroom

    A few of the most common places students vape include: School Bathrooms: Bathrooms are private, and multiple students can use them throughout the day, making it easy to sneak a quick vape. Classrooms: Especially if a student sits in the back of the room, it can be difficult for a teacher to see them vaping.

  14. Teaching about Vaping: Lesson, plan & Assembly

    In light of recent government plans to crack down on vaping among young people and as ministers are set to ban single use vapes over child addiction fears, it is crucial for educators to equip students with the knowledge and understanding they need to make informed decisions.At VotesforSchools, we believe in empowering teachers with engaging resources to address important topics like vaping in ...

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    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 ...

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    December 8, 2023. IUSD is committed to vaping prevention through education and resources for both students and families. As our vital partners, we want to ensure you have the resources necessary to address this important topic with your children. Data shows that when families talk with children, starting in upper elementary school through high ...

  17. What You Can Do to Protect Youth From the Harms of Vaping

    In 2022, about 1 in 10 or 2.55 million U.S. middle and high school students used e-cigarettes at least once in the past 30 days, including 3.3% of middle school students and 14.1% of high school students. Disposable e-cigarettes are the most commonly used device type among U.S. middle and high school students who vape.

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    PARENTS 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

  19. Texas students face tough, new mandatory punishment for vaping

    Beginning Sept. 1, any Texas student caught vaping at school will face a harsher penalty under a new state law. House Bill 114 makes vaping punishable by mandatory assignment to a Disciplinary ...

  20. Study: College Students Vape Much More Than They Realize

    Posted on August 4, 2023 A new study found, for the first time, that vaping reported from memory by college students is significantly less than vaping recorded with real-time measures. Dr. Anne Buu

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    Vaping and Athletes . The effect of vaping on athletic health and performance is becoming increasingly evident. Specifically, vaping leads to a decreased lung capacity, which makes it more difficult to perform at competitive levels. In many schools, students are facing punishment for e-cigarette use.

  22. Electronic Vapor Product Use Among High School Students

    Responses from bisexual students were significantly different than heterosexual, gay or lesbian, and other or questioning students. ¶ On the basis of t-test analysis using Taylor series linearization, p<0.05. Responses from Asian students were significantly different than Black, Hispanic, NH/OPI, White, and multiracial students.

  23. New study of adolescents and young adults reveals that cognitive

    In 2022, 14% of high school students and 3% of middle school students reported using e-cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.This is part of a growing trend of adolescents and young adults increasingly using e-cigarettes, also known as nicotine vaping.

  24. Royal Oak groups highlighting dangers of vaping for students

    The good news is that fewer high school students report vaping nicotine in e-cigarettes in a recent national government survey. The bad news: 10 percent of middle and high school students reported ...

  25. Lesson Plans

    Lesson Plans VAPING PREVENTION & EDUCATION Teach Youth About the Harms of Vaping Nicotine Browse science-based, standards-mapped classroom resources created by FDA's Center for Tobacco Products that aim to prevent vaping among middle and high school students. Choose from interactive quizzes, school-wide surveys, and creative advertising messages.

  26. 'You're physically dying': 22-year-old spends 62% of her budget on

    The average medical school graduate owes $250,995 in total student loan debt, four times as much as the average college graduate, according to the Education Data Initiative. Even if Aracely drops ...

  27. CER

    Health-science document from Barren County High School, 3 pages, 2023-24SY Health Assessment CER - Building Character and Resiliency Student Name: _Grant Hastings _ Teacher: _Jackson_ Period: _5_ Grade: _10_ GUIDING QUESTION: Does developing strong character and health resiliency skills prevent destructive health behav

  28. 12 Anglophone West schools using sensors that detect bathroom vaping

    Students are vaping in bathrooms, hallways and other common areas, Day said. Vaping is a little easier to conceal than smoking, she said, and is popular with teens, but it's not a healthy practice ...

  29. Hundreds of Houston-area students disciplined for vaping under new

    Hundreds of students in Houston-area school districts were sent to disciplinary alternative education programs in the first three months of a new Texas law meant to curb youth vaping, a move that ...