Empower Vape-Free Youth Campaign
Educators’ Role in Helping Reduce Student Vaping
E-cigarettes (also called “vapes”) have been the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youth since 2014. Educators can make a real difference by engaging in meaningful conversations with their students about the dangers of vaping for young people and ways to quit.
CDC launched the Empower Vape-Free YouthTM campaign in 2023 to encourage middle and high school educators to speak with students about the risks of e-cigarettes and nicotine addiction. The campaign also provides resources for educators to help students avoid or quit vaping
Fact Sheet:
Conversation Card:
Videos: Information on youth vaping, quitting, and encouraging healthy copying skills
(All videos are less than two minutes long)
Get the Facts on Youth Vaping
What Are the Health Risks of Vaping for Youth?
Talk to Your Students about Vaping
How You Can Support Youth Who Are Quitting Vaping
Understand the Mental Health Effects of Youth Vaping
Empower Vape-Free Youth with Healthy Coping Skills
Videos: Starting a dialogue with students about vaping
Featuring Principal (30 seconds)
Featuring Coach (90 seconds)
Featuring Teacher (90 seconds)
Featuring Teacher (60 seconds)
Featuring Teacher (30 seconds)
Quit Resources for Youth
- Smokefree Teen is a website from the National Cancer Institute with information, tips, tools, and live web-based support for teens interested in quitting tobacco use.
- SmokefreeTXT for Teens is a text-based program from the National Cancer Institute to help young people quit tobacco use.
- 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. Learn more at CDC.gov/Quitline.
Educator Resources
- Vaping Prevention and Education Resource Center | FDA
- These resources from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include lesson plans, activity sheets, videos and educational information for middle and high school educators to help inform students about the health consequences associated with vaping.
- Schools Supporting Students to Quit Tobacco Use as an Alternative to Suspension | CDC [PDF – 728KB]
- This CDC resource informs educators on e-cigarette use among youth and provides alternatives to suspension for students who violate a school’s tobacco-free policy.
- Youth Vaping Prevention & Resources to Quit | Truth Initiative
- This self-led, interactive curriculum provided by the Truth Initiative® encourages youth to live vape-free lives.
- N-O-T: Not on Tobacco | ALA
- This cessation program from the American Lung Association is designed to help youth ages 14 to 19 quit e-cigarettes. The program consists of 10 sessions to be delivered in a small group format. Youth can access a mobile-friendly online version.
- Stanford University Tobacco Prevention Toolkit
- These curriculums and resources were created by educators, parents, youth, and researchers aimed at preventing middle and high school students’ use of tobacco and nicotine.
