e-cigarettes, vapingThe 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed e-cigarette use among middle schoolers increased by 48 percent and increased by 78 percent among high schoolers in just one year.
The Truth Initiative has designed a new texting program which is called THIS IS QUITTING. It is an innovative text message program that was created with input from teens, college students and young adults who have attempted to, or successfully, quit e-cigarettes. It is a first-of-its-kind program supporting young people ages 13-24 to quit vaping. The program is tailored by age group to give teens and young adults appropriate recommendations about quitting. The program will also serve as a resource for parents looking to help their children who now vape. Since the “This is Quitting” program launched at the beginning of the year, over 50,000 young adults have enrolled and research shows that at 14 days over 60% of respondents indicated they had reduced or stopped e-cigarettes. Youth and young adults can access the new e-cigarette quit program by texting "DITCHJUUL" to 88709. Parents and other adults looking to help young people quit should text "QUIT" to (202) 899-7550. Adults looking to quit vaping themselves can visit Become An Ex for resources and text support.
We need to talk about youth and young adult use of Electronic Nicotine Devices and vaping
More youth now use e-cigarettes than any other form of tobacco. The US has finally reached a historic low for cigarette use, yet e-cigarettes threaten a new generation of Vermonters with addiction. Data from the CDC and the FDA shows that e-cigarette use among youth has skyrocketed in high school-age children by more than 75% between 2017 and 2018! The U.S. Surgeon General has declared youth e-cigarette use an epidemic. According to the Surgeon General’s Office they have, "never seen use of any substance by America's youth rise this rapidly." The time to talk to kids about e-cigarettes and vaping is now - make sure they have the right facts. What is an "electronic cigarette"? Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, e-vaporizers, or electronic nicotine delivery systems, are battery-operated devices that people use to inhale an aerosol, which typically contains nicotine (though not always), flavorings, and other chemicals. Some research suggests that e-cigarettes might be less harmful than cigarettes when people who regularly smoke switch to them as a complete replacement. However, because vaping is often promoted as a “safer” alternative to cigarettes, teens are getting the impression that they are safe. Youth and young adults should be reminded that almost all e-cigarettes or vaping devices contain nicotine. Nicotine in any form is a highly addictive drug. One of the most popular brands among youth is Juul. Juul brand devices ALWAYS contain nicotine (Juul just announced a decision to cut back on flavor and social media promotion as a result of government and public pressure). In addition to use causing an addiction to nicotine, research suggests that nicotine can even prime the brain’s reward system, putting people who vape at greater risk for addiction to other drugs. What should adults do? Educate yourself so you can have informed conversations with youth about how vaping or using e-cigarettes is not safe. Youth in our communities often have already internalized a lot of misinformation, so talk early and keep talking. Keep redirecting them to good information to help them make informed choices. Here are a few talking points:
for Schools & youth educational programsFor schools or youth educational programs:
Standford Medicine - Tobacco Prevention Toolkit Catch My Breathe Youth E-cigarette Prevention Program |
| Supporting Champlain Valley School District Youth and Families since 1990 |
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CY's mission is to promote a culture that develops in our youth the power and conviction to make healthy choices. Our primary purpose is to encourage a "no-use" community norm around alcohol, tobacco,and other drug use by young people. We believe success can be achieved only by involving all segments of our communities. "Whether we are young or old, male or female, rich or poor, we are ALL responsible for the children our culture is raising" Peter Benson, Search Institute
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