Tobacco-Free School

Guide to educate students about the dangers of using tobacco products

Tobacco-Free Schools Toolkit

Administrators, educators, school health services professionals, and other staff can use this guide to educate students about the dangers of using tobacco products, maintain a healthy school environment, and implement evidence-based programs to reduce tobacco use among youth.

Note: In this page, the term “tobacco product” refers to combustible products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos), smokeless products (e.g., snuff, dip, chew), and e-cigarettes (e.g., JUUL), regardless of whether they contain nicotine.

About Youth Vaping

E-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youth for the past five years. Use of e-cigarettes, which is called “vaping,” has reached epidemic levels among youth, with a 2018 report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimating at least 37% of U.S. 12th graders had used an e-cigarette in the past year.

The vaping epidemic is particularly bad in Kentucky, where use among tenth graders jumped 200% from 2016 to 2018. More than one in four Kentucky high schoolers and 14% of eighth-graders say they’ve used an e-cigarette in the past month.

Tobacco Product Use Among U.S. High School Students

E-cigarette companies’ marketing toward youth, flavors like mango and crème, and sleek, high-tech designs appeal to adolescents and young adults. E-cigarettes can look like traditional cigarettes, but may also resemble pens, USB sticks, or non-tobacco products.

What Schools Can Do

Fortunately, there are a number of tools available to help Kentucky’s schools combat the dangerous trends in tobacco use.

In 2019 the Kentucky legislature passed House Bill (HB) 11, which gives school districts the opportunity to pass tobacco-free school policies that include e-cigarettes. These policies establish tobacco-free environments as a norm, while providing opportunities for adults to model smoke-free lifestyles and reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and aerosol.

There are also a number of resources to help schools provide prevention education during the school year, when the risk of become addicted to tobacco products is greatest.

100% Tobacco-Free School policies can reduce youth tobacco use by up to 30%

Tobacco Education Resources

#iCANendthetrend

icanendthetrend@uky.edu
Middle and High Schools

#iCANendthetrend is a peer led, evidence-based vaping prevention and empowerment program developed by the University of Kentucky. Geared at youth and young adults, the program helps adolescents, families, and community members across the state understand the dangers associated with e-cigarette use and the costs associated with addiction. #iCANendthetrend also helps participants identify the ways they are being targeted by the tobacco industry, and teaches refusal techniques using National Health Education Standards (NHES) skill-building. This program is free, but subject to availability. @iCANendthetrend on Twitter

Taking Down Tobacco

www.takingdowntobacco.org
Middle and High Schools

Taking Down Tobacco is a comprehensive youth advocacy training program that educates and engages youth through free online and in-person trainings. It provides an introduction for youth new to the fight against tobacco, as well as advanced training to help young leaders take their advocacy to the next level. Geared toward middle- and high-school students, Taking Down Tobacco empowers youth to create change in their communities and help achieve the first tobacco-free generation. @TobaccoFreeKids on Twitter and Instagram

CATCH My Breath

www.catchinfo.org
Grades 5th through 12th

CATCH My Breath is a best practices youth e-cigarette prevention program developed by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health. It provides up to date information to teachers, parents, and health professionals to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions about the use of e- cigarettes. CATCH My Breath utilizes a peer led teaching approach and meets National Health Education Standards. @CATCHhealth on Twitter

Tobacco Prevention Toolkit

www.med.stanford.edu/tobaccopreventiontoolkit.html

The Tobacco Prevention Toolkit is an educational resource that can be adapted to fit the needs of adults and students in all types of settings, including elementary, middle, and high schools; community-based organizations, and health related agencies. Educators and adults are encouraged to pick and choose which lessons will be most useful for their students and to adapt activities to suit their needs. Resources specifically for adults are also available. @StanfordTPT on Twitter

Know the Risks

www.bit.ly/2W0XziB
Middle and High Schools

CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) developed Know the Risks: A Youth Guide to E- cigarettes to educate youth on e-cigarettes, including the health risks, the factors that lead to e- cigarette use, and what youth can do to avoid all tobacco products. This presentation is designed to be given by an adult who works with young people (e.g., educator, troop leader, coach, youth minister). The presenter does not require additional information or permission to deliver the presentation. @CDCtobaccofree on Twitter

Resources to Quite Smoking or Vaping

Quit Now Kentucky

www.QuitNowKentucky.org
All ages

Quit Now Kentucky is a free phone, text, and online chat service for Kentuckians who want to quit using tobacco products. Currently, Quit Now Kentucky is available for all ages. Enroll by visiting QuitNowKentucky.org, calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW, or texting “QUITKY” to 797979.

My Life, My Quit

www.MyLifeMyQuit.com
Teens under 18

My Life, My Quit is a free, confidential service for pre-teens and teens who want help quitting tobacco products. By enrolling, teens receive five one-on-one coaching sessions with tobacco treatment specialists who have been trained in adolescent cognitive and psychosocial development. Coaches are available by phone, text, or online chat. Participants develop a quit plan, identify triggers, practice refusal skills, and receive self-help and educational materials designed specifically for teens, with input from teens. Participants should visit MyLifeMyQuit.com, or call or text “START MY QUIT” to (855) 891-9989 to register.

This is Quitting

www.ThisIsQuitting.com
Ages 13 to 24

This is Quitting is a free texting program specifically for teens and young adults who want to stop vaping. Developed by Truth Initiative, the program was created with input from high schoolers, college students, and young adults who have quit e-cigarettes. This is Quitting is tailored by age group to give participants appropriate recommendations for quitting. Youth and young adults can access This is Quitting by texting “KENTUCKY” to 88709. Parents and other adults looking for resources to help kids stop vaping should text “QUIT” to (202) 899-7550.

Not On Tobacco

https://bit.ly/33BkAvE
Ages 14 to 19

Not On Tobacco (N-O-T) is a session-based cessation method designed by the American Lung Association with teenagers in mind. It is taught by a trained adult in ten, 50-minute sessions. N-O-T is most effective when used in a small group format (six to ten participants) that emphasizes teamwork.

ASPIRE

https://bit.ly/2YcyvoX
Middle & High Schools

ASPIRE is a free, bilingual, interactive online tool to help teens learn about being tobacco-free. Developed by MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, the program explains the dangers of tobacco products in a way that fits a variety of student experiences, tailored to whether they have or haven’t used tobacco products, and whether they are or aren’t interested in quitting. Students can earn a certificate of completion upon finishing the program and adults can see students’ progress by logging into the admin site. The original version, ASPIRE 1.0, is simpler and focuses primarily on regular cigarettes and tobacco products. The updated version, ASPIRE 2.0, has added more contemporary graphics as well as information about e-cigarettes and synthetic cannabinoids (e.g., K2, Spice).

Smokefree Teen

www.teen.smokefree.gov
Ages 13 to 19

Smokefree Teen is a website created by the National Cancer Institute to provide evidence- based resources specifically for teens. It offers free tools including an online chat at teen.smokefree.gov, a free app called quitSTART, and two free text message programs: SmokefreeTXT for smoking and vaping, and DipfreeTXT for young adults who want to quit dip. @smokefreeUS on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Tobacco-Free School