Educators and Administrators

The Facts

• Nicotine use during adolescence can increase the risk of substance misuse and addiction, mood disorders, and permanent lowering of impulse control.
• Smoking at a young age increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and early death.
• Nationwide, over 3 million high school & middle school students have used any combustible tobacco product.

E-cigarettes are the most popular tobacco product used by middle school and high school students.

• In Nevada:
  • 15.1% of high school students currently use electronic vapor products
  • 8.4% of middle school students currently use electronic vapor products
• In the United States:
  • 10% of high school students currently use electronic vapor products
  • 4.6% of middle school students currently use electronic vapor products
• ~90% of all adult smokers began smoking at or before the age of 18. Evidence shows that the vape industry illegally markets to youth, targeting teens to create lifelong addictions.
• Most teens who use tobacco products want to quit! Almost two-thirds – 65.3% – of students who used tobacco reported seriously thinking about quitting. (2021 NYTS)

My Life, My Quit

The My Life, My Quit program is a free and confidential service developed for teens ages 13 – 18 who want help quitting all forms of tobacco, including electronic vapor products. My Life, My Quit tobacco treatment specialists have completed extensive training on adolescent cognitive and psychosocial development.

By enrolling, teen participants receive:

• Five one-on-one coaching sessions, usually scheduled every 7-10 days. Coaching helps teens develop a quit plan, identify triggers, practice refusal skills, and receive ongoing support for changing behaviors
• Self-help and educational materials designed for teens, with input from teens
• Support by phone, text message, or online chat

For FREE help to quit smoking or vaping, teens can text “Start My Quit” to 36072 or call 855-891-9989.

How Educators and Administrators Can Help

While the decision to quit tobacco is always one that teens must make themselves, educators and administrators can:

• Talk to teens about the impact of tobacco use, including vaping, on their current and long-term health
• Provide teens with information about how to enroll in My Life, My Quit, Nevada’s free cessation resource for youth ages 13 – 18
• Support their plan to stop and ask if they will sign up for the My Life, My Quit program, mentioning that it is free and confidential
• Keep an open mind and let the student know that they are supported on their quit journey
• Adopt alternative to suspension school policies to help students to quit vaping instead of punishment following the American Lung Association INDEPTH model

Read our Toolkit to learn more.

What To Do If You Catch Students Vaping in School

Schools play a key role in responding to the youth vaping epidemic. When students are caught vaping on campus, it is important that educators and administrators know how to respond.While these situations may be difficult for school staff to respond to, supporting students to quit is crucial to improving their health as well as their academic performance. Nicotine is highly addictive, and students may get easily hooked. There is also evidence that electronic vapor products are heavily marketed to youth, increasing their risk for addiction.Suspension can cause a number of problems, such as lower test scores and graduation rates. By responding with support instead of punishment, schools have an opportunity to encourage students to quit. The American Lung Association offers free Alternative to Suspension INDEPTH curriculum, which provides information and resources to replace suspension or expulsion with cessation support in schools.

Read and share our Toolkit for Parents, now available in English and Spanish.