vaping assignment for students

Modules for tobacco & nicotine education

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.

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)

For Middle Schools (Click here to view lessons)

For High Schools (Click here to view lessons)

• 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:

• 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

• 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

• 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.

(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! 

qrco.de/behk6D

Post-survey.

(AFTER you teach any number of the lessons)

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. .

Vaping and Tobacco

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

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

NEW! Tobacco Prevention Toolkit: Smokeless Tobacco 101

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

NEW! Tobacco Prevention Toolkit: Hookah 101

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

NEW! How Nicotine Affects the Teen Brain

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

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

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

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

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

NEW! Teens and Vaping: The Real Health Consequences

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

NEW! Vaping Research Project

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

NEW! Sizing Up E-Cigarette Marketing

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

Tobacco Prevention Toolkit: Nicotine Addiction

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

CATCH My Breath

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

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

E-Cigarettes: Is it Worth it?

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

*Also available in Spanish

Taking Down Tobacco

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

E-Cigarettes: What You Need to Know

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

Know the Risks: A Youth Guide to E-cigarettes

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

Student Self-Paced Lessons

Vaping: know the truth.

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

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

Additional Resources

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

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

NEW! Tobacco Prevention Toolkit: Factsheets

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

NEW! Fact: Vaping Harms Your Health (Infographic)

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

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

Resources for Parents & Caregivers

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

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

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

Vaping Fact Sheet

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

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

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

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

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

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Teaching about Vaping

Lesson, plan & assembly.

Part of our Teacher Toolkit Series

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.

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."

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+)

Please provide the following information to access the free downloads.

The Big Help Out

'Early involvement in volunteering and social action increases a young person's likelihood of taking part in the future.'

Download The Big Help Out resource pack now to lend a hand and help shape the next generation of volunteers.

Including assemblies, an Educator Support Sheet and a Parent & Carer Newsletter.

Comprehensive Vaping Education

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

In-person Presentations

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

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

Staff training

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

School nurses

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

Coaches and teams

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

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

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

Quit Resources: A Deep Dive

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

Create Your Own Display

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

Prevention and Early Action

Workshops and training, recovery support.

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

Parents and educators—including teachers, administrators, and coaches—can play an important role in protecting youth from e-cigarettes, also known as vapes. As students go back to school, it’s the perfect time to educate them about the dangers of vaping.

E-cigarettes are electronic devices that heat a liquid and produce an aerosol, or a mix of small particles in the air. This aerosol is breathed into the lungs of the person using the device. E-cigarette aerosol can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances. While use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for everyone, this is especially true for kids, teens, and young adults.

E-cigarettes, or vapes, are known by many different names. They are also called “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).” E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes. Some are made to be recharged, some to be refilled, and some to be thrown away (disposable).

E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students.

• 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. In addition, nearly 85% of middle and high school students who used e-cigarettes reported using flavored e-cigarettes. Many e-cigarettes come in kid-friendly flavors—like candy, desserts, other sweets, mint, and menthol. This makes them more appealing to youth.

• Among middle and high school students who currently used any type of flavored e-cigarette in 2022, the most commonly used flavors were fruit (69.1%), candy, desserts, or other sweets (38.3%), mint (29.4%), and menthol (26.6%).

Vaping can have health risks for youth. Most vapes have nicotine in them, which is highly addictive. Nicotine use in adolescence:

• Can harm brain development, which continues until about age 25.
• Can impact attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.
• May increase risk for future addiction to other drugs.

Not only can nicotine in e-cigarettes pose health risks for youth, but youth who vape may also be more likely to go on to use regular cigarettes.

In addition to nicotine, e-cigarette aerosol can contain other harmful and potentially harmful substances. These substances include:

• Cancer-causing chemicals
• Volatile organic compounds
• Ultrafine particles
• Flavorings that have been linked to lung disease
• Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead

When a person is dependent on (or is addicted to) nicotine and stops using it, their body and brain must get used to not having nicotine. This can result in temporary symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. People might keep using tobacco products, like vapes, to try to make these symptoms feel better. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms  include:

• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Feeling anxious or depressed
• Trouble sleeping
• Problems concentrating
• Craving nicotine

Youth might turn to vaping to try to deal with stress or anxiety. This can create a cycle of nicotine addiction, which can also be a source of stress.

Youth vaping and cigarette use have also been linked to mental health symptoms, such as depression.

Most students who use tobacco products want to quit and have attempted to do so. This includes e-cigarettes. In 2020, nearly 2 in 3 middle and high school students who used e-cigarettes reported wanting to quit. Similarly, about 2 in 3 reported trying to quit in the last year.

Youth who vape need support and help when trying to quit. Talking to youth and connecting them with quitting resources is a great way to help.

Parents and educators can play an important role in protecting youth from the risks of vaping. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what to do to help youth avoid or quit vaping. Engaging youth and starting a discussion can help. Here are some suggestions.

Parents can:

• Set a good example by being tobacco-free.
• Try to ensure your child is not exposed to the secondhand smoke or aerosol from any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
• Talk to your child about why vaping is harmful for them. It’s never too late to have that talk.
• Let your child know you want them to stay away from all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, because they are not safe for them.
• Reach out to your child’s health care provider for quitting resources.

Educators are an important source of health information for students. You can help students:

• Develop healthy skills for addressing stress and anxiety.
• Recognize and resist the social pressure to vape.
• Understand the risks of vaping.
• Encourage students to talk with their doctor or school nurse and connect with support services.

Educators can empower students to quit vaping and support them to live free from nicotine addiction.

Parents and educators can use the resources below to talk to youth about the dangers of vaping and how to quit.

• CDC.gov/Vaping
• E-cigarettes and Youth: What Parents Need to Know (cdc.gov) [PDF – 1.17 MB]
• Fact Sheet for Educators [PDF – 2.07 MB]
• Conversation Card for Educators [PDF – 777 KB]
• Schools Supporting Students to Quit Tobacco Use as an Alternative to Suspension: Lessons from the Field (cdc.gov) [PDF – 728 KB]
• Vaping Prevention Resources | HHS.gov
• Smokefree Teen from the National Cancer Institute has information, tips, tools, and live web-based support for teens interested in quitting tobacco use: Teen.smokefree.gov .
• SmokefreeTXT for Teens is a text-based program from the National Cancer Institute to help young people quit tobacco use: Teen.smokefree.gov/txt-teen .
• 1-800-QUIT-NOW connects teens to their state quitline where they can get free and confidential support from a quit coach and get connected to additional resources: CDC.gov/quitline .

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Vaping curriculum by truth increases student knowledge about e-cigarettes

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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.

More in tobacco prevention efforts

The Master Settlement Agreement: 4 ways the landmark tobacco settlement changed tobacco control

What does a tobacco “endgame” mean?

Young leaders engage in tobacco prevention as truth Ambassadors

Vaping – KS3 form time activities

Students explore the facts and impacts of vaping in these flexible nhs-approved activities.

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• Health Education

In these 3 form time sessions, students learn about social pressures around vaping, its impact, and the effects of nicotine on the adolescent brain:

• Vaping: What and why? 
• Vaping: The impact 

Vaping: Nicotine

Includes a "Guidance for teaching about vaping" document to support one-to-one conversations with young people.

The accompanying videos are featured below.

Vaping – KS3 form time activities  (ZIP, 110MB)

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Learning outcomes

Vaping: what and why.

After this activity, students will be able to:

• understand the basic effects and legalities of vaping
• understand the impact of social pressure on decision-making

Vaping: The impact

• explain the social, health and environmental impacts of vaping
• explain the effects of nicotine on the brain
• understand the signs and impact of addiction

Supports the Health Education curriculum

By the end of secondary school, students should know:

• The facts about legal and illegal drugs and their associated risks, including the link between drug use and the associated risks, including the link to serious mental health issues.
• The physical and psychological consequences of addiction, including alcohol dependency.

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KS3 – Students learn:

• H23  – the positive and negative uses of drugs in society, including the safe use of prescribed and over-the-counter medicines; responsible use of antibiotics.
• H24  – to evaluate the misconceptions, social norms and cultural values relating to drug, alcohol and tobacco use. 
• H25  – strategies to manage a range of influences on drug, alcohol and tobacco use, including peers. 
• H26  – information about alcohol, nicotine and other legal and illegal substances, including the short-term and long-term health risks associated with their use.
• H27  – the personal and social risks and consequences of substance use and misuse, including occasional use. 
• H28  – the law relating to the supply, use and misuse of legal and illegal substances. 
• H29  – about the concepts of dependence and addiction, including awareness of help to overcome addictions.

Supports the Biology curriculum

KS3 – Gas exchange systems

• The impact of exercise, asthma and smoking on the human gas exchange system.

More resources like this

Alcohol lesson plan pack

Help your pupils identify the reasons why some young people choose to drink alcohol and the impact it can have on them

Self-care – KS3 and KS4 form time activities

Students explore a variety of self-care activities

Physical and mental wellbeing – KS3 and KS4 lesson plan

Students explore the link between physical and mental wellbeing

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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 ).

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:

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Health Reporting in the States

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

John Daley - Colorado Public Radio

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shots - Health News

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

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

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

Vaping use drops among teens, rises among young adults

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'They weren't able to stop.'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Juul effect

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Juul did not respond to requests for comment.

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

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

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

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

Debate over vaping's role in smoking cessation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finding the will to quit

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

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

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

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

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

• nicotine addiction
• youth vaping
• young adults

Youth vape-free campaign provides resources for students

S IOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls School District and the Sioux Falls Health Department are working together to fight against vaping among students.

“The resources already existed at the state level, at the national level. So, we didn’t want to recreate that wheel, but rather put a localized spin on that and connect them right here in Sioux Falls and the options they have available to them through various resources,” Public Health Prevention Coordinator Shelby Kommes said.

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The ‘Break the Clouds’ campaign connects students and their parents with resources to educate themselves about vaping. The school district and the city are distributing ‘Quit Cards’ that have tools on how to quit vaping.

“It could be through nurses, through principals, through school counselors, and also just having them available throughout the school. Maybe in their advisory classrooms or other locations that are frequented by the students. And we’ll also have some here at the health department available to distribute as well,” Kommes said.

The campaign looks to help students as young as elementary school and even provides support for adults trying to quit.

“Unfortunately, we have seen and heard of students in the elementary grades, vaping. And so that was another thing that really was alarming to us. And when we started hearing things like that that we really needed to get resources out there,” SFSD Health Services Coordinator Molly Satter said.

The school district said vaping doesn’t just affect the user.

“We hear from other students who are maybe in the building who know that other students are vaping, perhaps it’s in the bathroom or things like that, or just being worried about your friend who now seems to have an addiction to something,” Satter said.

It’s an effort to keep students safe, while bringing awareness to an important issue.

More information on the ‘Break the Clouds’ campaign can be found here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.

Volusia School Board member says at least 1 student per week is hospitalized for vaping

DAYTONA BEACH — Hinson Middle School students recently learned about the dangers of tobacco and vaping during an anti-tobacco pep rally April 1.

Hosted by the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association, the goal was to educate students and their parents about the harmful effects of smoking and vaping while empowering them to stay tobacco free. 

At the assembly, school board member Carl Persis noted just how “popular” vaping is in Volusia County Schools, telling the audience that the district has sent at least one person to the hospital each week this school year for vaping. 

“I know it sounds like, ‘Oh, that could never happen to me,’” Persis said. “Well, the person that went to the hospital thought it could never happen to him or her either. So take it seriously. And, of course, watch out for yourselves, but I’m asking you, as middle school students, to watch out for your friends.” 

Radio station HOT 94.1’s DJ Jay Love emceed the event and students listened to guest speakers and participated in basketball scrimmages with players from Bethune-Cookman University’s women's basketball team. 

Hinson Middle’s PTSA funded this event with grant money awarded from the National PTA. 

“Vaping has become very popular with the middle school and high school age groups and we want to use this opportunity to not only educate on the dangers to our parents and students, but also to as many as we can,” said Amy Annon, Hinson Middle PTSA board member, in an email. 

Guest speaker Walker McKnight echoed Persis’ advice and shared how vaping as a teen landed him in the hospital in need of three organ transplants.

McKnight, now 24, said he started vaping in high school as an 18-year-old. Within three months, he said, he was on life support. 

After graduating from Winter Park High School, McKnight went to Florida Atlantic University to compete as a cheerleader and volleyball player at the collegiate level. However, at the start of his first year, he came home sick, visited the doctor, and learned he had an infection in his left lung. 

McKnight’s dad, David McKnight, said that if his son didn’t have a double lung and kidney transplant, he would not have survived. 

“My hope and prayer for all of you is that you realize that there’s dangers involved with doing drugs at all times, especially ones that have not been thoroughly tested and approved,” David McKnight said at the pep rally. “And your body is precious. Your mind is sensitive. And your heart is fragile, so take care of it. Good health is better than all the riches and fame the world has to offer because without your good health, you guys risk losing the life that is yours right now.” 

McKnight reinforced his father’s message, assuring students that “vaping really is just no joke.” 

“There’s no get back, and ... the most important thing is you want to have a healthy body,” he said. “The only reason I survived is because of how healthy I was.”

Local stakeholders also weigh in about the dangers of smoking, vaping

Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington referred to smoking as a “dirty habit" and told students that “it’s not cool,” that “it’s one of the worst things you can possibly do,” and that people who smoke generally do not perform as well in the corporate world. 

“One of the leading things that smoking causes: you can’t perform well,” Partington said. “We need you to perform well and stay healthy.”

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood warned students of the “unseen dangers” of vaping and said it can lead to drug addiction and impaired decision-making. 

“You really, really have to think about what you’re doing,” Chitwood said. “Is it really, really worth it destroying your future for that? … Just say no. You don’t need it, you don’t need the effects that come with it later in life.”

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Follow our news, recent searches, students caught for vaping offences for the first time may be fined up to s$2,000: moh, hsa, advertisement.

About 250 vaping cases were referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) by schools and institutes of higher learning in the first quarter of this year.  

Vapes were confiscated by HSA after it raided a warehouse unit along Woodlands Close on Jan 19, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Suen Wai Kit)

This audio is AI-generated.

Lee Chong Ming

SINGAPORE: Students caught for vaping offences for the first time may be fined up to S$2,000 (US$1,480), in line with penalties for people convicted of buying, possessing and using e-vaporisers.

This was announced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a joint press release on Tuesday (Apr 9), as authorities ramp up efforts to address a growing trend of young people vaping. 

Students caught vaping were largely dealt with by the schools, which would inform the parents and confiscate the prohibited product. Schools will also take appropriate disciplinary actions such as suspension, or caning for boys, the Ministry of Education (MOE) told CNA in December.

Recalcitrant offenders may be referred to HSA, which may issue them a fine , an MOE spokesperson said at the time.

"To strengthen deterrence amongst youths against vaping, from March 2024 onwards, all offenders (including first-time offenders in schools and institutes of higher learning) who are caught for purchase, use and possession offences for e-vaporisers are referred to HSA and subjected to a fine of up to S$2,000," MOH and HSA said on Tuesday.

In the first three months of the year, schools and institutes of higher learning (IHLs) referred about 250 cases to HSA. MOE will be notified when students are caught for vaping offences outside schools.

In October last year, Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman said 800 students from schools and IHLs were caught vaping in 2022 . Before 2020, the number of students referred to HSA for vaping offences was fewer than 50.

HSA and MOH said on Tuesday that institutes of higher learning have been reviewing sanctions, which include corrective work orders or mandatory community service.

Students from autonomous universities who are caught possessing or peddling vapes may also have their hostel privileges revoked.

Schools and IHLs will continue their regular detection and enforcement efforts through internal reporting channels and campus patrols, said HSA and MOH. 

Where appropriate, HSA and autonomous universities will also carry out joint operations.

"For students who are caught vaping, in addition to the penalty imposed by HSA, schools and IHLs will continue to mete out consequences through existing disciplinary frameworks, such as suspension or caning (for boys in schools)," said the authorities.

"Students caught vaping will also be placed on cessation support programmes where counsellors will guide them through their cessation journey."

CNA reported in December last year that some  youths were starting to pick up the habit  of vaping from as early as primary school, with sellers targeting younger people. 

In addition to enforcement efforts, schools and IHLs are working with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to "amplify anti-vaping messages" in educational materials and preventive programmes.

They are also raising awareness of the harms of vaping and providing cessation support for students who are caught vaping.

These programmes include QuitLine, a tele-counselling service, as well as on-site counselling by Student Health Advisors.

Besides learning about the harmful effects of smoking and vaping, they also pick up ways to quit and manage withdrawal symptoms.

Last year, about 2,350 youths took part in these programmes, of which 38 per cent have either reduced or quit smoking and/or vaping one month after counselling.

"MOE, together with HPB, has communicated to staff and students on Singapore’s firmer stance against vaping and step-up in enforcement. Parents have also been informed," said the authorities.

IN FOCUS: How schools and families are combating the problem of vaping among children

8,000 vaping-related offences in 2023, up 40% from year before

Intensifying enforcement efforts.

From Jan 1 to Mar 31, more than 2,200 people were caught for the possession and use of e-vaporisers.

For the whole of last year, Singapore authorities handled around 8,000 vaping-related offences, a 43 per cent jump from the figure of 5,600 in 2022. A total of 7,600 offences were recorded in 2021. 

In the first quarter of 2024, HSA disrupted several illegal vape distribution networks, seizing more than S$7 million worth of vapes and components in total.

Joint operations were also conducted by HSA and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints and Changi Airport.

Forty vape-related cases were detected at the border in the first three months of 2024. Ten people were caught smuggling vapes into Singapore, while 30 were found to be in possession of vapes.

One of the smugglers has been prosecuted and the rest are pending prosecution and enforcement actions, said MOH and HSA.

Between Jan 1 and Mar 31, about 1,950 people were caught for possession or use of vapes in public areas, such as the central business district, entertainment outlets and around shopping centres.

Authorities seized large quantities of vaping products over the past year, including a  record haul of 85,000 products  during a warehouse raid in March 2023. 

In January, authorities raided a warehouse unit at 31 Woodlands Close, where more than 81,000 vapes and related components worth a total of over S$1.1 million were seized. Five people aged 19 to 39 years old are assisting in the investigations.

In 2023, more than 3,000 e-vaporiser-related online listings were removed by the authorities, an increase from the 2,600 online listings removed the year before.

HSA and MOH have notified 16 social media services and e-commerce platforms to remind them that hosting vaping-related content is against the law.

"The onus is on social media services and e-commerce platforms to exercise due diligence and proactively remove vaping-related content. Enforcement actions may be taken against the platforms that are found with inadequate processes to detect and remove vaping-related contents," said the authorities.

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What Students Are Saying About Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’

Chronic absenteeism has increased in American schools since the Covid-19 pandemic. We asked teenagers what they make of the trend.

By The Learning Network

Nationally, an estimated 26 percent of public school students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the most recent data, from 40 states and Washington, D.C., compiled by the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute.

The increases have occurred in districts big and small, and across income and race.

In “​ Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere ,” Sarah Mervosh and Francesca Paris explain:

The trends suggest that something fundamental has shifted in American childhood and the culture of school, in ways that may be long lasting. What was once a deeply ingrained habit — wake up, catch the bus, report to class — is now something far more tenuous. “Our relationship with school became optional,” said Katie Rosanbalm, a psychologist and associate research professor with the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University.

In a related Student Opinion question , we asked teenagers if that explanation resonated with them. Had their relationship to school — and school attendance — changed since the pandemic? And if so, what did they make of this shift?

Many students said, yes, school feels different now. Why? They pointed to remote learning changing their routines, an increase in anxiety and a decrease in motivation, the ease of making up schoolwork online and much more. Read their responses in full below.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the conversation on our writing prompts this week, including students from Central Bucks South High School in Warrington, Pa .; Norwood High School in Norwood, Mass.; and West Salem High School in Salem, Ore.

Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.

Remote learning made students comfortable with missing school.

I believe that there are two main contributors to missing school too much. The first is online school. Myself included. It was very easy to simply leave the call after taking attendance and the teacher wouldn’t realize. Skipping class was easy and you could still get high grades. Transitioning back to real school, kids still held that true. They knew that they could miss school and still do well because covid taught that to them. The second reason is punishment. When you miss school, nothing happens. Class goes on and you have a little extra homework the next day but that’s it. What is the issue with missing class is a very common thought and it’s true. There is very minimal downside to missing school. When I had surgery, I missed a full week of school and within a day and a half, I was fully caught up again. Missing school has just become all too easy.

— Xavier, Pennsylvania

2020 was when our lives completely changed for the worst. We all had to stay inside and stay separate from each other. It was terrible, not being able to talk to my friends, and seeing the death toll on news constantly rise. However, after a year into the pandemic, I believe students realized the power they now had, including me. Now that I am a highschooler, I am going to admit that sometimes I would just mute my class and do whatever I wanted. School became shorter and easier to pass than ever before. That’s why when we all transitioned back into school, it was weird. We all still wanted to get through class the “easy way,” yet now that we were back, it wasn’t possible. This is why we started increasing our absences. The threat of absence has become weak, students are not as afraid to stay out of school. Furthermore the threat of being infected gave just one more reason to be out of school, for the sake of “preventing others from getting sick,” when in reality you feel fine. That is most likely why the absences in school had an exponential increase.

— Joshua, Pennsylvania

Students feel like expectations are lower than they were before the pandemic.

As a student in high school, I’ve come to realize the horrible state our attendance has been in since the pandemic. The reason can be simplified into one idea: laziness. We are lazy, willing to do only enough to get by, no more, no less. If a student doesn’t need to come to a class to obtain the grade they wish to achieve, then they won’t show up. Classes are not challenging enough to make students feel that they are worth going to. My mom is used to getting texts from me during the school day, begging to be excused from a class where “we’re doing nothing” or, “I already finished the work,” which is true, yet I abuse the opportunity to miss class because I know there will be no greater coincidence, I will still be getting an A. Due to my laziness, I would rather be at home taking a nap than sitting in a class with no greater impact on my life.

— Clara, Salem, Oregon

Since the pandemic, schooling has been focused on getting students caught up to where we’re supposed to be. Consequently, more allowances are made for students who don’t do assignments or don’t even show up. And with the switch to all online because of the pandemic, things have never shifted back. If a student misses a day or even a week, they can easily see what they missed and do it and submit it from home. With this option giving them the exact same grade as it would if they actually went to school, it’s no wonder why students are choosing to stay at home or skipping class. Additionally, the pandemic had heightened anxiety levels in students, specifically social anxiety, making them less likely to show up. The allowances made by the school district for students has created a space for students to be lazy and get away with it. This is fostering a negative impact on student work ethic not only now, but also in the future when this generation will be entering the work force.

— Emma, West Salem High School

The period of school shutdowns got students out of their school routines.

When I think back to virtual learning, my brain automatically goes to how stress free it was. I was in sixth grade when Covid first hit and going through a period of my life where I was extremely anxious at school. I believe that this break is exactly what I needed at the time. However, I do believe that in the long run, this online learning time period got a lot of people into the routine of not having a routine. A lot of people at my school would turn their camera off and fall asleep or go on their phones during online learning. I believe that there were times that I did this as well. I also think that this mindset carried through into the grades where I did not have an online/hybrid option. In eighth and ninth grade, I happened to stay home sick, go into school late, or leave early a lot. I think this is due to me not taking school as seriously due to the grading methods that were being used and how some of my teachers were not grading harshly. Now that I am a sophomore in high school, I think I have finally gotten back into the routine of actual schooling and not staying home sick unless I actually feel extremely sick.

— Madison, Pennsylvania

Before the pandemic and as I was growing up, I was the kind of student that wanted perfect attendance. For some odd reason, it made me feel like a better student if I never missed a day. This included turning my parents down when they offered me to go on trips, even though I was only in fourth grade and the work that I would have missed wouldn’t have made an impact in my academic career. However, after the pandemic school began to feel optional. We felt what it was like to fall out of the routine that going to school was and were never able to fully recover from it. I think that having experienced attending school from your bed, in your pajamas has played a major role in the current trend of students receiving more absences. For me, it made me realize that the “0” next to your number of absences didn’t matter as much as I had once thought. As a now highschooler, the school days are long and every class requires an abundance of work and undivided attention that whenever there is a substitute or not much going on, it is easy to decide to leave school. With senior year approaching, everything’s purpose is college and the fact that colleges aren’t able to see how many absences a student has when they apply, does play a role in the increasing number of absences.

— Ava, Miami Country Day School

Because assignments and other materials are online, students find they can keep up with their classes even if they don’t attend school.

Schools have adjusted rules so much that it makes school feel optional. Don’t want to attend class publicly? Take online classes. Don’t want to take “required” state testing? Opt out. Before, school seemed strict, we didn’t have the option to opt out of tests, we didn’t think of taking online school. Yet now, schools make it so easy to skip because everything is simply online. Our assignments, lectures, and teachers are all online. There are no longer requirements in school. What’s the point of attending if we can graduate without taking state testing or attending advisory — also a requirement, yet I no longer have an advisory because my counselors said I don’t need to take it to graduate. It’s confusing. Students have been enabled for over 4 years now since quarantine started. School doesn’t feel mandatory, it’s optional. I’m currently enrolled into 2 AP classes, so I try my best not to miss school. But it’s inevitable, I get sick, I have family situations or maybe I simply don’t feel like attending school. But I see people skip school like nothing. “I didn’t feel like going” is a constant statement I hear. Not many students have the motivation to attend, and simply don’t go because they have a comfort in their head that they can graduate while missing multiple days of school nearly everyday.

— Olivia, Salem, OR

Current absenteeism rates have significantly impacted my learning experience for the past few years. Since the pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the perception of the value of education and whether or not attendance is an important factor in a student’s academic success. In the years following 2020, I found myself struggling to make it to class everyday due to my new found efficiency of working at home with my computer. I felt that even if I was not in class personally, I would be able to keep up with my work easily as it was all online regardless. Due to this I would go on trips or skip class purely because I was under the impression that I would be able to continue achieving virtually.

— Ruby, RFHS

Before the pandemic, my attendance was stable but after the pandemic, my absences were piling on. It was difficult to get back in the rhythm of in person school when I had already done a whole year online, but now my attendance in school is definitely getting better. On the other hand, students in my school tend to miss school and it is a rare sight to see a full class. Some students go as far as showing up to class once a week and just do the classwork online. After the pandemic, schools went from paperwork to all online, which is a big reason why students miss all the time, knowing that school work can just be done at home. It has definitely affected students’ grades and goals in life, but hopefully in the future, absences can lower back down.

— Emily, Atrisco Heritage Academy High School

Going to school, and finding the motivation to have as good an attendance record as possible, now feels like more of a struggle.

As students, we’ve developed a comfort in staying in bed during school without having to get ourselves ready to go outside. We had the ability to wake up five minutes before “school” started to get on our zoom calls. Now, we must wake up an hour and a half prior, and make breakfast and pack lunch, before driving to school. The process is tenuous as the article states, but because we’ve accustomed to a different lifestyle, it just makes this one seem like so much more work. I, myself have noticed my difference in attendance after COVID-19. I used to be very obsessed with perfect attendance, but I had 11 absences in my sophomore year, right after coming back from online school. Nowadays, I’m more lenient on myself when it comes to taking a mental health day, because the process can be overwhelming. School is very important, so of course I try to always come in, but sometimes it can be hard. I have not noticed this trend in the world, as well as with myself until this article. It’s enlightening to know that this had not only an effect on me, but all over the country. Hopefully the rates of absenteeism will decrease as time goes on, because we are the future.

— Anisha, New Jersey

Before virtual learning, I never made much of a habit of not turning in work or showing up for class. It was so much easier then but since virtual learning, it had become incredibly difficult for me to focus as well as keep up motivation to continue school. It was easy to skip and nobody really said much about it so it easily became a bad habit. That bad habit eventually leaked into normal school as well and it always sounds so much easier to break out of than it actually is.

— Tayy, NRHS

As the average high school class skipper (only sometimes), in my personal experience, missing out on classes hasn’t really been because of mental health concerns, but more of just lasting laziness from the pandemic. I feel as though I was relatively hard working in middle school/elementary but after a few years off with only half effort assignments, I have grown to become more sluggish and reluctant when it comes to more advanced work while in school. And it makes the option of missing out on classes because of my own reluctance a lot more appealing.

— Luke, Bali, Indonesia

My schedule during the week is get up, get ready for school, go to school, go home, do homework, go to sleep and then I repeat that everyday for 5 days. As much as I don’t want to dread going to school, it’s exhausting having the same schedule repeated everyday of the week. While in school, you have assignments assigned nearly everyday. I feel as though school has had a change in its meaning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While in quarantine, we were looking at a screen for the whole day and lacked motivation to get assignments done. When we shifted to in person school again, it didn’t change. I now look at school as a task that I need to complete to shape my future. I need to have all my assignments perfect and turned in on time. The meaning of school has turned into a draining task rather than a place that you look forward to going to.

— Jamisan, Salem, Oregon

Some students face challenges in attending class that may have nothing to do with the pandemic.

I don’t believe that students are skipping because it is so easy to catch up and pass, despite their absences. In fact, I know that a lot of people who skip aren’t passing most of their classes. They do this because their parents don’t hold them accountable, and there is always something deeper going on in that student’s life that makes it that much harder for them to find the motivation to go to class. I don’t think making the classes harder will hold students more accountable, but in fact deter them from going to class at all. If a student is aware that they are failing and doesn’t understand the concept of the class, and the class proceeds to become harder, they are going to quickly become unmotivated to go to class in the first place, feeling out of place compared to the other — passing — students in the class. While I don’t have a solution for this problem, myself, I feel that the problem is much broader than we suspect, and the answer will be a much deeper journey to find.

— Kylie, West Salem HS

Schools can do more to get students back in class.

I attend a French school in London and attendance is closely monitored. Absences have to be justified by your parents or you could get into trouble. I think it’s important to attend school as we did before Covid - because as well as learning the curriculum, it is crucial to socialise with your friends and classmates, which is good for your mental health … I wonder if social media could be a factor? If students did not have access to social media or the internet, would they prefer to be in school with their friends? This increase in absenteeism could affect students’ chances of getting into University when they come to finish school or even their opportunities later in life. Students need to be reminded of this more and more perhaps. School helps you to learn not just about facts but also helps to build your emotional quotient & social intelligence — which are all valuable for life.

— Alexandre 14, London

As a current high school junior, my experiences with skipping have been minimal at best, however, I feel strongly that the reason behind skipping is pretty simple. Students don’t care as much about school and the system encourages it. When faced with the choice of sitting in a class and learning about the Patagorian theorem or hanging out with friends, many students are now choosing the latter. The lack of care or effort being put forth in school doesn’t even affect their grades! This is due to certain classes having minimal grades set at 50%, which is 10% away from a pass. This system is actively encouraging people to put minimal effort into a class just to get a pass and graduate. Removing courses like this would certainly raise the importance of getting the work done. Another solution to this problem would be having attendance as a grade, if your grade depends on you being in classes then most would show up. If you have to show up to class to pass then more students would be inclined to do so. The emphasis is on not bending the knee to people who don’t want to show up to class, not giving them a minimal 50%, we should mark attendance for a passing grade, and letting them fail. If we keep letting students skip with minimal consequences then their attitudes won’t change and thus hinder our students’ growth.

— Henry, Salem, OR

Learn more about Current Events Conversation here and find all of our posts in this column .

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Two EPCC Computer Science students, Ivan Alonso and Emilian Garcia, took their winning assignment, "The Fingerprint Assignment: An Interdisciplinary Assessment for CS I Education" at the Technical Symposium of the Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education in Portland, Oregon.

Alonso and Garcia, with the help of their professor, Dr. Christian Servin, presented their work on March 20th through the 23rd at the symposium.

The team's work was considered among the top six assignments globally for the current year. This is also the first time the session has accepted an assignment from a community college.

Alonso said the work he and Garcia did was challenging, but allowed him to have a deeper understanding of computer science. “Through participation in this research, I discovered knowledge beyond the classroom,” Alonso, said. “Engaging in research exposed me to real world applications and challenges, which fostered a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the field.”

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Valeria Medina

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VAPING PREVENTION & EDUCATION

Project: “vaping's not our thing”, project planner.

Guide your students through these steps to prepare their project so they can help keep other teens stay safe and healthy!

Visit Vaping 101 in the student section to gather facts about addiction and the dangers of vaping. Find more information in The Risks of Vaping Magazine and explore the Must-Know Facts About E⁠-⁠Cigarettes videos for more data.

Have your students summarize what they have learned by answering the questions below:

• How can vaping lead to addiction?
• Why are teens more at risk for addiction than adults?
• What are the signs of a vaping addiction?
• What other health risks do e⁠-⁠cigarettes pose?
• What advice would you give teens about vaping?
• What can someone do if they become addicted to vaping?

Use the project rubric to help your students create their poster or infographic. Ask your students the questions below throughout their creative process. As they plan, have your students write and/or draw, and edit their work.

• How well does the entry focus on the dangers of vaping to teens?
• Does it contain enough information so that viewers will understand the risks?
• Is the information scientifically accurate?
• How well does the entry grab attention?
• How persuasive are the imagery, language, and facts?
• How original and inventive are the entry's visuals and/or words?
• Is the entry neat and readable with correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation?

Encourage your students to share their poster or infographic with friends or family. Use their feedback to edit and improve their entry. Then, hang it up around the school or in your classroom to spread the word to other teens on the dangers of vaping.

PROJECT RUBRIC: "Vaping's Not Our Thing"

The rubric below can help your students determine how successful their poster or infographic will be. Ask your students the questions below throughout their creative process. As they plan, have your students write and/or draw, and edit their work.

1. SCIENTIFIC CONTENT - 10PTS

2. impact & persuasiveness - 10pts, 3. creativity - 5pts, 4. presentation - 5pts.