vaping presentations for schools

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Guides to E-Cigarettes and Vapes Presentations

At a glance.

The resources on this page are intended for adults who educate or serve youth ages 11 – 18 (teachers, youth ministers, coaches, scout leaders, etc.). Utilizing the talking points and information for users document, the presenter does not require additional information, nor permission to deliver the presentation.

Keep in mind

Cdc expects that users of this slide set will adhere to the following standards:‎.

1. Not modify the content contained within individual slides.

2. Not imply or state, either in written or oral form, that any slides added to this slide set from other sources reflect official CDC policies or positions.

By using this slide set you signify your understanding of the above-stated terms.

Know the risks: a youth guide to e-cigarettes

• Presentation
• Information for Users
• Talking Points

Know the risks: a parent’s guide to e-cigarettes and youth

CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) developed this presentation to educate parents on youth e-cigarette use, including the health risks, the factors that lead to e-cigarette use, and what parents can do to help youth avoid all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Related Materials

Empower Vape-Free Youth Campaign

Conversation Card for Educators

Fact Sheet for Educators

Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers

Fact Sheet for Parents

Smoking and Tobacco Use

Commercial tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States.

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Evidence-based youth vaping prevention program.

Empowering youth to be vape free.

CATCH My Breath’s peer-led teaching approach empowers students with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about e-cigarettes and resist social pressures to vape. Informed by tobacco youth prevention researchers and practitioners, years of real world implementation , and a youth advisory board , it is the only school-based vaping prevention program proven to reduce the likelihood of vaping among youth.

Youth informed.

Meet Our Youth Board of Advisors

*NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS — DUE APRIL 15, 2022*

Parents & Community

Note: If you have technical issues playing the parent/community videos in this section, try our YouTube playlist .

Program Information for Parents

Introduction letter to parents, parent information handout.

English version  /  Spanish version

Parent Toolkit Grades 5-12

This toolkit is a way for parents to learn more about the vaping epidemic, gauge their child’s risk of trying e-cigarettes, and find the best strategy for them to talk to their child about e-cigarettes.

Parent Toolkit Videos

Video one: the youth vaping epidemic.

Youth vaping is on the rise and parents need to be equipped with e-cigarette knowledge. This video covers four facts about youth vaping and how your child might be impacted by the epidemic.

Video Two: Strategies to Support Your Child’s Healthy Decisions

Checking in with your child can help them make healthy decisions, including the decision to not use e-cigarettes. In this video, you will learn simple, yet effective ways to check in with your child and support healthy decisions.

Video Three: Could Your Child be Vaping?

E-cigarettes can sometimes be hard to spot, making your job as a parent more challenging. In this video, you will learn how to identify e-cigarette and vaping products. You will also learn of common signs of vaping and nicotine addiction.

Video Four: 4 Reasons to Talk to Your Child about E-Cigarettes Today

Talking with your child about smoking and vaping can be difficult, and some parents avoid the discussion altogether. In this video, you will learn the important reasons why you should talk with your child about vaping.

Video Five: How to Talk to Your Child about E-Cigarettes

Talking to your child about smoking and vaping doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In this video, you will learn four tips to effectively talk with your child about vaping.

Parent Toolkit Grades K-4

It’s vital to start early when it comes to educating parents and caregivers about the dangers of vaping and the exposure that even elementary students have to vaping and misinformation about it. Our parent education resources for parents of younger children include an informational video , along with a fact sheet and parent-child activity , both of which can be shared digitally or printed and shared as handouts.

English Version / Spanish Version

Parent-Child Activity

Parent / community presentations.

Help fellow parents or community members stay informed about the youth vaping epidemic and prevention efforts by hosting an educational presentation. This presentation provides basic information about e-cigarettes & vaping products, the extent of the youth vaping epidemic, short- and long-term effects of vaping, and explains how to engage in your community, including how CATCH My Breath can help schools.

Presentation Options

• Pre-recorded video presentation (below)
• Self-serve, downloadable presentation slides (includes slide-by-slide scripting in the notes section)
• Live webinar delivered by a CATCH My Breath staff member (available on a limited basis, please email [email protected] for information)

Parent / Community Presentation Video (English)

Parent / Community Presentation Video (Spanish)

E-Cigarette Background Information

What is an e-cigarette.

E-cigarettes are a type of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) and their appearance can vary from resembling a conventional cigarette to a USB flash drive. They use a nicotine liquid often called e-liquid or e-juice, which is often sweet or candy flavored, to deliver nicotine to the body. While they were developed as a means to help smokers quit, they have rapidly become the new means of nicotine addiction, especially among young people. The following video explains e-cigarettes in detail.

What does an E-cigarette look like?

E-cigarettes can take on many different shapes and forms and they can vary in name. Today, E-cigarettes include brands such as JUUL, Blu,Vapor Fi, PHIX,Suorin Air, My Jet, and PULSE. Below you can see examples of (1) disposable e-cigarettes, (2) reusable “tanks” or “mods” (3) Suorin drops, (4) and JUULs. Although there are a lot of e-cigarette options available, JUUL is currently the most popular e-cigarette in the United States with roughly 75% of the market share.

How common is E-cigarette use?

As of 2020, 19.6% of high school students and 4.7% of middle school students across the U.S. have used E-cigarettes in the past 30 days. This data points to the fact that large numbers of American children will become addicted to nicotine and are at risk for becoming a regular tobacco user.

CDC: 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey

How harmful are e-cigarettes?

• E-cigarettes are a source of extremely high doses of ultrafine particles in the human respiratory system. These particles have been linked to cardiovascular disease.
• Nicotine is much more addictive to the immature teen brain compared to the developed adult brain.
• Even a little nicotine can lead to ADHD-like symptoms and compulsive behavior, which can contribute to classroom behavior problems.
• There is some evidence that nicotine primes the brain for other drug addictions.
• Nicotine is extremely harmful to the developing fetus. There is no known safe level of nicotine exposure in utero.
• Drinking nicotine in E-juice is harmful and possibly fatal for babies and toddlers.
• Nicotine overdose symptoms include rapid heart rate, nausea, elevated blood pressure, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, convulsion, and potentially seizure and death.
• The process of heating the nicotine solution produces aldehyde, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and acrolein, which are known carcinogens.
• The glycerin/propylene glycol and 8,000+ flavoring chemicals in e-cigarettes have only been approved for ingestion (eating). It is not recommended by the manufacturers that these chemicals be inhaled, as they have not been widely tested for their potential sensitizing, toxic, or irritating characteristics.
• Many E-liquids are custom-mixed by individuals at home, increasing the potential for additional health risks to E-cigarette users. Even commercial E-liquids are produced with unknown manufacturing procedures, packaging materials, and purity standards.

Addicted Early

This 4-minute video follows two friends, Mari and Jake before school as they discuss a class project and Jake’s new obsession with his vape.

Additional Resources

These resources give more detailed information about e-cigarettes, the youth vaping epidemic, and other related topics.

• CDC: E-cigarette, or Vaping Product Visual Dictionary
• FDA Raises Federal Minimum Age of Sale of Tobacco Products to 21
• FDA: Limited Flavor Ban Enforcement Policy
• CDC: E-cigarettes and Youth: What Parents Need to Know
• Surgeon General: The Call to Action on E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults
• American Lung Association: E-cigarettes, “Vapes”, and JUULs: What Parents Should Know
• American Cancer Society: Questions and Answers about E-cigarettes for Parents
• American Cancer Society: What You Need to Know about E-cigarettes: For Middle and High School Students
• Science News for Students: Concerns Explode Over New Health Risks of Vaping
• Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: Don’t Trust JUUL
• Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: Big Tobacco is Back
• Public Health Law Center: U.S. E-Cigarette Regulations – 50 State Review
• Truth Initiative: Behind the explosive growth of JUUL
• Truth Initiative: Vaping Lingo Dictionary: A guide to popular terms and devices
• UThealth: Quick Facts About JUUL, The High Nicotine Product Hiding In Plain Sight
• Fox 32 Chicago: Vape pen explodes, shattering teenager’s jaw and knocking out some teeth

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About the Program

Proven Effective

CATCH My Breath is an evidence-based youth vaping prevention program for grades 5-12 that has been proven to substantially reduce students’ likelihood of vaping. The vape education program’s effectiveness was published in a peer-reviewed journal and the program is listed in SAMHSA’s Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series .

Robust Program & Resources

Developed by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, the vape education program includes grade-level specific and health education standards-aligned classroom curriculum alongside a variety of engaging supplemental materials including STEM/Humanities/PE extensions, self-paced modules, and virtual field trips.

Training & Support

CATCH Global Foundation provides teacher and health educator trainings that help ensure facilitators are effective in the vape education program delivery. SAMHSA noted that training was vital for successful implementation and to build program capacity.

Program Contents

Core program.

CATCH My Breath is an evidence-based youth vaping prevention program for grades 5-12 that has been proven to substantially reduce students’ likelihood of vaping.

Classroom Sessions

The CATCH My Breath Program (grades 5, 6, 7-8, and 9-12) consists of 4 unique lessons for each grade group, that are approximately 35 minutes each. Each session includes a lesson plan with learner outcomes, a detailed outline of directions, and all materials including corresponding PowerPoint presentations.

Classroom Session Overviews

Grades 5 – 8.

Session 1: Consequences of using e-cigarettes

• Identify negative consequences of e-cigarette use.
• Describe the health hazards associated with e-cigarette use.
• Analyze the safety of flavor chemicals and their role in e-cigarette marketing.
• Analyze basic ingredients in e-liquid.

Session 2: Making our own choices

• Identify the percentage of e-cigarette users in middle school and high school and describe nonsmokers as the majority.
• Describe the harmful consequences of e-cigarette use.
• Identify reasons why teens may begin using e-cigarettes.
• Identify positive alternatives to using e-cigarettes.
• Develop, practice and demonstrate refusal skills and smart exit strategies.
• Interview an adult regarding tough choices and tobacco use.

Session 3: Don’t let them lie and win

• Recognize situations and places that may be high-risk for being offered an e-cigarette.
• Discover the amount of money the tobacco and e-cigarette industry spends on advertising its products.
• Describe the role of advertising dollars in e-cigarette use.
• Recognize indirect and direct advertising strategies.
• Recognize the covert methods that the tobacco and e-cigarette industry uses to attract new e-cigarette users.
• Analyze some of the propaganda techniques tobacco and e-cigarette companies use to sell their brand of e-cigarette.
• Develop a messaging project (warning label) that addresses misconceptions and promotes the benefits of being e-cigarette-free.

Session 4: Your Life. Your Choice.

• Review the covert methods that the tobacco and e-cigarette industry uses to attract new e-cigarette users.
• Develop and present a messaging project (warning label) that addresses misconceptions and promotes the benefits of being e-cigarette-free.
• Make a personal goal regarding e-cigarette use.

9th – 12th Grades

Session 1: Designed for Addiction

• Understand the highly-addictive nature of nicotine.
• Identify the health and social consequences of e-cigarette use.

Session 2: What could go wrong?

• Identify existing knowledge or perceptions of e-cigarettes.
• Dispel misconceptions about e-cigarettes.
• Synthesize information about the health and social consequences of using tobacco products such as e-cigarettes.
• Discover ways to quit using tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) and support peers who want to quit by offering encouragement and referring cessation resources to them.

Session 3: Co-create & hack the system

• Learn about laws, rules and regulations regarding tobacco and e-cigarettes.
• Discuss the reason behind such rules and how it applies to youth.
• Understand that they can participate actively in such policy making.

Session 4: Take Control of Your Life

• Learn to create laws and rules regarding tobacco and e-cigarette.
• Learn to communicate policies to governing agencies.

CATCH Global Foundation provides teacher and health educator trainings that help ensure facilitators are effective in program delivery. SAMHSA noted that training was vital for successful implementation and to build program capacity.

View Training Options

Program Supplements

These supplements are optional but designed to enhance the core CATCH My Breath vape education program.

Video Lessons

Available as a paid add-on option, these engaging video lessons include on-screen slides, activity prompts, and companion worksheets.

Designed for synchronous or asynchronous learning environments, we provide two delivery formats to give teachers optimal flexibility.

More Info / Purchase

STEM & Humanities Supplements

Supplementary lesson bundles are designed to be interdisciplinary and can be incorporated into everyday classroom curriculum. These supplements were developed in partnership with Discovery Education as part of the Be Vape Free initiative.

“Risks of E-Cigarettes”

Science, Health • Upper Elementary

In the Supplemental Science Bundle, students will dive into important questions such as, “what parts of the brain and body are affected by e-cigarette use” and “what harmful and toxic chemicals can be found in e-cigarettes.”

“E-Cigarette Laws & My Community”

Social Studies, English-Language Arts • Upper Elementary

In the Supplemental Humanities Bundle, students will explore how states are addressing the vaping crisis through legislation around the sale, purchase, and use of e-cigarettes. Students will investigate the evolution of their state’s laws & the purposes behind enacting those laws.

“Refuse to Lose: E-Cigarette Realities”

Science, Health • Middle School

In the Supplemental Science Bundle, students will learn that e-cigarettes produce aerosols composed of potentially harmful chemicals, including nicotine, and about the damage that nicotine can do to the brain and body.

“Take Charge of your Health: The Truth About E-Cigarettes”

Social Studies, English-Language Arts • Middle School

In the Supplemental Humanities Bundle, students will investigate credible and non-credible sources of health information to learn how to identify valid sources of information in order to make healthy decisions for themselves.

PE Supplement

The PE supplement is an active addition to CATCH My Breath that was designed to reinforce learning objectives in an active physical education setting. The supplement is available in two versions: Grades 5-8 and Grades 9-12.

Virtual Field Trips

The Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) are engaging video resources that allow educators to take their students to unique places, meet interesting people, and have immersive and educational experiences – all without leaving the classroom! Developed in partnership with Discovery Education as part of the Be Vape Free initiative, these VFTs are a great way to kickoff Red Ribbon Week (October), Tobacco Awareness Month (November), or the start of the CATCH My Breath program at your campus.

Just The Facts: A Be Vape Free Virtual Field Trip

Get ready for an exciting virtual detective story that lets your students become E-cigarette Sleuths cracking the case of vaping once and for all! Introduce students to an array of amazing special guests, and dive into the science of addiction by tracking vape aerosol on its nefarious journey from the e-cigarette all the way into the lungs, bloodstream, and brain.

Witness the thrilling conclusion of the great vape mystery by watching today! You can get your Vape Investigators excited both before and after watching the Virtual Field Trip with the companion Educator Guide.

Clearing The Air: A Be Vape Free Virtual Field Trip

Join us for a real-world virtual learning opportunity to get the facts on the vaping epidemic. Students will gain powerful insights as several teenagers share their firsthand experiences of successfully avoiding e-cigarettes, learn how to think critically about everyday influences like advertising and social media, pick up effective refusal skills and debunk common myths with a health professional. Be sure to share this important virtual learning experience with your students, as those who use e-cigarettes are at increased risk of complications from respiratory illnesses like COVID-19!

Cannabis Vaping Lessons

In the supplemental Cannabis Vaping lessons, students learn about “Fact vs. Fiction” when it comes to vaping marijuana.

Self-Paced Modules

Self-paced modules are designed to be done independently by students, but not as a substitute for the core program. The engaging and interactive content is accessed directly by students via the web. These modules were developed in partnership with Discovery Education as part of the Be Vape Free initiative.

Elementary School Self-Paced Module Video Series

Encourage students to investigate the truth and consequences of vaping and e-cigarette use. Educators may view the videos together with their students using the standards-aligned lesson plans and educator guide or assign it for students to explore independently.

Middle School Self-Paced Module: Vaping Risks Revealed

Can you get addicted to vaping? Does using e-cigarettes affect your brain? Students will have the opportunity to learn about the effects of vaping as well as strategies for making safe choices.

Instructional Details

Learning outcomes.

The overall goal of CATCH My Breath is to prevent the initiation of e-cigarette use among preteen and teen adolescents. The program is designed to help students:

• Discover that  non-use  of e-cigarettes is the norm for adolescents
• Identify reasons why young people might start using e-cigarettes
• Recognize the subtle, and not so subtle, messages in e-cigarette advertising
• Practice skills for resisting peer pressure and advertising pressure to use e-cigarettes
• Decide on their personal reasons not to use e-cigarettes and set goals for future non-use

The intended outcomes are to ensure that students will:

• Resist their own curiosity, peer and advertising pressure to experiment with e-cigarettes
• Understand that e-cigarettes are addictive, unhealthy, and not as popular as they think
• Influence friends and peers not to use e-cigarettes

Educational Strategies

• Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)
• Peer-facilitated cooperative learning groups*
• Large-group discussions
• Analysis of mass media
• Goal setting

*The use of peer group facilitators ensures cultural appropriateness for students across socioeconomic groups, cultures, ethnicities, and regions in the United States. In addition, same-age peers are more likely than teachers or outsiders to speak the same “peer language” and have the same perspective as the students.

CATCH My Breath activities were designed to influence social and psychological factors related to youth e-cigarette use by:

• Disrupting the norm held by youth that most teens smoke e-cigarettes
• Developing skills to resist peer pressure and advertising pressure to use e-cigarettes
• Understanding how advertising is designed to undermine credible health information
• Creating favorable non-smoking attitudes and beliefs about e-cigarettes

Standards & Alignments

National academic standards.

CDC National Academic Standard for Health Education

• Standard 1   Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
• Standard 2  Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.
• Standard 3  Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance health.
• Standard 4  Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
• Standard 5  Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.
• Standard 6  Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health.
• Standard 7   Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
• Standard 8  Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.

English/Language Arts Standards (Grade 6-8)

Listening and speaking.

• Plays a variety of roles in group discussion
• Asks questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas
• Conveys a clear main point when speaking to others and stays on the topic being discussed
• Makes oral presentations to the class

Viewing Media (Advertising) (Grades 6-8)

• Knows that people with special interests and expectations are the target audience for particular messages or products in visual media
• Understands techniques used in visual media to influence or appeal to a particular audience

Life Skills (Grades 6-8)

Thinking and reasoning.

• Identifies alternative courses of action and predicts likely consequences of each
• Examines alternatives for resolving local problems and compares the possible consequences of each
• Identifies situations in the community and in one’s personal life in which a decision is required
• Predicts the consequences of selecting each alternative
• Takes action to implement the decision, when appropriate

Working with Others (Grades K-12)

• Contributes to the overall effort of a group
• Uses conflict-resolution techniques
• Displays effective interpersonal relationship skills
• Demonstrates leadership skills (e.g., peer group facilitators)

Self-regulation (Grades K-12)

• Sets and manages goals
• Considers risks
• Demonstrates perseverance
• Maintains a healthy self-concept
• Restrains impulsivity

Common Core Standards

Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration (Grade 5)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on  grade 5 topics and texts , building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.B Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.C Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.D Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.3 Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 5 Language standards 1 and 3  here  for specific expectations.)

Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration (Grade 6)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1.B Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1.C Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1.D Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.2 Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas (Grade 6)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.4 Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration (Grade 7)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.B Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.C Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.D Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.2 Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas (Grade 7)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.

Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration (Grade 8)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.B Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.C Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.D Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas (Grade 8)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration (Grades 9-10)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.B Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.

Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas (Grades 9-10)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 9-10 Language standards 1 and 3  here  for specific expectations.)

Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration (Grades 11-12)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.B Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.C Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.D Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas (Grades 11-12)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11-12 Language standards 1 and 3  here  for specific expectations.)

CASEL Standards

Self-awareness.

The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior. The ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a “growth mindset.”

• Identifying emotions
• Accurate self-perception
• Recognizing strengths
• Self-confidence
• Self-efficacy

Self-Management

The ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations — effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself. The ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.

• Impulse control
• Stress management
• Self-discipline
• Self-motivation
• Goal-setting
• Organizational skills

Social Awareness

The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

• Perspective-taking
• Appreciating diversity
• Respect for others

Relationship Skills

The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. The ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist inappropriate social pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.

• Communication
• Social engagement
• Relationship-building

Responsible Decision-Making

The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms. The realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and a consideration of the well-being of oneself and others.

• Identifying problems
• Analyzing situations
• Solving problems
• Ethical responsibility

Proven Effectiveness

Evidence-based.

A peer-reviewed study of CATCH My Breath found that students in schools that implemented the program were half as likely to experiment with e-cigarettes over the following 16 months, compared with those in schools that did not receive the program. The publication of the findings in Public Health Reports – the official journal of the U.S. Surgeon General – makes CATCH My Breath recognized as an evidence-based youth vaping prevention program. The study also found the program increased student knowledge of vaping dangers and positive perceptions about choosing a vape-free lifestyle.

Program impact on an average middle school’s 7th grade class (192 students):

No Intervention

17 will try e-cigarettes if we do nothing.

Intervention: CATCH My Breath

8 would be prevented with CATCH My Breath.

SAMHSA-Recognized

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recognized CATCH My Breath as the only recommended school-level youth vaping intervention in their Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series . SAMHSA noted that receiving training on CATCH My Breath was “vital” for successful implementation of the program and to build program capacity.

Want help developing a plan to use SAMHSA grant funds to implement tobacco youth prevention by CATCH My Breath in your community? Contact our program experts .

Community Tested

Chicago public schools, chicago, il.

CATCH My Breath kicked off in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) during the 2017-2018 school year thanks to the grant from CVS Health Foundation. Starting with five schools reaching just over 1,000 students, the program diffused throughout the district by word […]

CATCH My Breath was created in 2016 at The University of Texas School of Public Health (UTHealth) in Austin. Dr. Steven H. Kelder developed the curriculum as a response to the 900% spike in youth e-cigarette use from 2011-2015. The […]

See All CATCH My Breath Spotlights

Get Started Schools & Organizations

Program options contact us with any questions or for more information., catch my breath vaping prevention curriculum (free to u.s. schools).

– Includes –

Pre-Recorded Training

Free Program Supplements

• Create or sign into your CATCH.org account.
• Click this link to enroll.
• Click "Let's Go!" on the CATCH My Breath program tile .

Access includes English & Spanish versions of the core curriculum for grades 5-12.

Optional CATCH My Breath Add-Ons (Single Sign On Available for Districts)

Video Lessons ($49 / school) Purchase

Live Implementation Training ($99 / seat) Purchase

Live Train-the-Trainer Training ($425 / seat) Purchase

Video Lessons + Live Implementation Training ($75-90 / educator) Purchase

Video Lessons + Live Train-the-Trainer Training ($425 / educator) Purchase

Private Training Inquire by email to [email protected]

Other Available CATCH Programs (Curriculum & Trainings)

Health Ed Journeys

PE Journeys

SEL Journeys

* RECOMMENDED *

CATCH My Breath Campus Package  ($199 / school / year)

CATCH My Breath vaping prevention curriculum

Video lesson pack with campus-wide access for grade 6 or 7/8 (+ $40 for both)

1 hour live, virtual Implementation training course - 2 seats (+ $99 / additional seats)

Training Options

Implementation.

Event link information will be sent one business day prior to the session. Sessions will not be recorded. Should you not be able to attend a session, email [email protected] for alternative options.

Train-the-Trainer

Support creates impact.

CATCH My Breath is the most-used youth nicotine vaping prevention program in the United States. The curriculum is offered free of cost to U.S. middle schools and high schools and has served over 1.8 million students across all 50 states in over 5,500+ schools .

To effectively scale our work and reach millions of children, CATCH My Breath relies on the generous support of our funding partners and donors, who help us bring full vape education program implementation and local capacity building services to the underserved communities who need it most.

To learn more about our sponsorship opportunities or how your company or foundation can help youth across the globe access vaping prevention education, please contact John Weidman, Director of Global Advancement, at [email protected] .

Corporate Sponsorship Slidedeck

Make a Donation

CATCH My Breath program usage in the U.S.

Used by Top Districts Nationwide

– Including –

Stay informed about the important issue of youth vaping prevention and stand with other parents, teachers, public health professionals, and concerned citizens working to combat the youth e-cigarette epidemic.

Donate Today

Fall Webinar Series

Become Informed & Inspired

Join us for our webinars focusing on new CATCH features to empower you this school year, and best practices for skills-based health education in various settings. Early registration for both webinars is highly encouraged.

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Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

VAPING PREVENTION & EDUCATION

Access free resources for teachers, students, and parents to learn more about the dangers of vaping nicotine.

TEACHERS: WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN HOW TO USE THE FDA VAPING PREVENTION AND EDUCATION RESOURCE CENTER

Browse lesson plans focused on the latest science-based vaping prevention information from FDA, including:

• Learning outcomes mapped to national standards
• Subjects including health risks and marketing tactics
• Easily accessible online evaluations for students

VISIT THE TEACHERS PAGE

Browse the latest science-based materials on vaping prevention from FDA, including:

• Complete learning activities that test topic comprehension
• Videos featuring real teens
• 24/7 access to assignments

VISIT THE STUDENTS PAGE

Browse the most up-to-date, science-based resources on vaping prevention from FDA, including:

• Expert advice on starting conversations about the harms of vaping
• Online and community resources to help youth quit using e⁠-⁠cigarettes
• Learn to recognize vaping products that teens try to hide

VISIT THE PARENTS PAGE

Vaping Prevention Lesson for Middle and High School Students

How to use the ppt presentation.

Please be aware that once downloaded, the presentations will not allow editing nor will they allow users to make a copy for themselves.  Please follow these steps to open the documents ( View Screenshot ):

•  Select “Enable Editing”,
• Select "Read Only" if prompted for a password. 
• Click "Enable Content" (if prompted).
• Please note that VIDEOS may only play when the presentation is in "Slide Show" view. Please allow a few moments for the videos to load.

PowerPoint, Presentation Notes, Citations

Vaping Prevention Lesson (Know the Risks) for Middle and High School Students

Vaping Prevention Lesson (Know the Risks) for Middle and High School Students--Presentation Notes

Youth Prevention Lessons

For Educators

Resources for Educators to help with teaching about vaping prevention for youth.

• TUPE Curriculum

Curriculum PRE-Survey – Student

Curriculum post-survey – student.

The Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit is recommended by the TUPE grant for grades 9th-12th. The CATCH My Breath Curriculum is recommended by the TUPE Grant for grades 5th-8th. CATCH My Breath Videos were purchased for grades 6th and 7th/8th. Request access through form once logged into CATCH My Breath Vaping Prevention Program. However, all resources in both programs do have information for 6th-12th grades and can be used as needed.

Please do the Pre Survey with students prior to implementing the curriculum in the classroom. Follow-up with the Post Survey with students once lessons are completed.

You and Me, Together Vape-Free Curriculum

6 Lessons, each providing activites, online quiz games and worksheets in addition to presentations, resources, and other materials aimed at preventing and reducing e-cigarette use. 

The Stanford Cannabis/Marijuana Awareness & Prevention Toolkit

Our new Smart Talk: Cannabis Prevention & Awareness Curriculum, which is part of the Stanford Cannabis Awareness & Prevention Toolkit, is a 5-lesson theory-based and evidence-informed curriculum created by the Stanford REACH Lab as well as by our Youth Action Board, educators, healthcare providers, and scientists across the U.S.

Elementary School Lesson Guide Middle School Lesson Guide High School Lesson Guide

TUPE Canvas Courses

In collaboration with the California Department of Education, the Orange County Department of Education’s TUPE Capacity Building Project has developed a variety of courses focused on effective TUPE program implementation and informative tobacco prevention resources.

CATCH My Breath

This evidence-based program was shown to substantially reduce students’ likelihood of vaping in the year following program implementation. Students also showed a significant increase in knowledge of the dangers of vaping and an increase in positive perceptions about choosing a vape-free lifestyle.

Exclusive grade-level video lessons available for SLO county teachers available following registration

CA Healthy Kids Resources Center

The  CA He​althy Kids Resources Center​ ​ provides access to educational resources that can be borrowed at no cost, including curricula, books, video, and audio. 

California Health Framework

The primary purpose of this website and the Health Education Framework is to offer guidance to teachers of health education that will assist them in addressing significant changes to health instruction as reflected in the 2008 Health Education Standards, as well as more recent key initiatives and legislation.

Watch the Music Notes Anti-Vaping Presentation

This presentation is paid for by the San Luis Obispo County TUPE Grant for students in 6th-8th grades to view. Please email [email protected]  if you do not have the password.

Intervention/Alternative to Suspension

Healthy Futures: An Alternative to Suspension

The Healthy Futures/Alternative to Suspension Curriculums are geared for students who have been caught using e-cigarettes (or really any tobacco product) and/or for any students who are interested in trying to quit.  

We have 2 versions:  OUR Healthy Futures is to be taught by an educator, counselor, advisor, or another adult in small group settings.  We have 2-, and 4-hour options.  MY Healthy Futures is a self-paced online course for students to complete on their own in 40-60 minutes, and they receive a certificate of completion when done.  

Sequence : Self-Paced Online Course or 2 & 4 hr Group curricula available

Grades : Middle (7/8) and high school (9-12​) students​  

Click here for training opportunities

YVAPE: An Alternative to Suspension

The Youth Vaping Alternative Program Education (YVAPE) is an alternative to suspension program for students facing disciplinary action for vaping in California public schools. It utilizes phone counseling sessions and educational materials to establish a relationship with students, help them learn about their vaping behavior, and promote a dialogue between students and parents.

Sequence : Two 20-minute counseling sessions and 30-60 minutes of videos and discussion

Grades : Middle (7/8) and high school (9-12​) students​

YVAPE services are provided for FREE . Consent required by school administrator, student and parent. YVAPE can be used as an intervention and is not considered a cessation program.  Please use Kick it CA for cessation services .

Intervention for Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco and Health (INDEPTH) was developed by the American Lung Association in partnership with the Prevention Research Center of West Virginia University. INDEPTH is an interactive program that teaches students about nicotine dependence, establishing healthy alternatives and how to move past nicotine addiction.

Sequence : Four 50-minute sessions

JANUARY, 2024 – TBD CHECK BACK FOR DATE VIRTUAL TRAINING

• Youth Development

Friday Night Live

Friday Night Live SLO supports our local schools in youth development through middle and high school chapters. Friday Night Live programs utilize a Youth Development Framework, in which adults and youth work together, in partnership, towards programming that is youth-led and youth-driven. Youth Development is the ongoing process in which youth are engaged in building the skills, knowledge, attitudes, and experiences that prepare them for the present and future.

California Youth Advocacy Network

Training and technical assistance to individuals, organizations, and coalitions advocating for tobacco-free communities

No Barriers

No Barriers has a number of courses, each designed to entice growth and development within the people who face adversity on a daily basis. Everyone from our youth, to our veterans face seemingly impossible barriers, but it’s how you overcome them that truly defines you .

Here’s your chance to become the master of your own destiny and take on a course that teaches you how to overcome barriers, view challenges in a new light and join a community of inspirational people who have faced adversity time and time again!

You’ve just got to decide which course is for you!

• TUPE Videos

smokeSCREEN

smokeSCREEN: A smoking and vaping prevention videogame on a mission to prevent youth smoking and vaping

Beatnic Boulevard

Introducing BeatNic Boulevard – San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ first mobile video game that teaches tobacco-use prevention education.

Get In Touch

Want more info on vaping prevention.

3350 Education Drive San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Email Address

• Intervention
• Parents/Community
• Quit Vaping
• Collaborative Partners
• California Healthy Kids Surveys
• CYTS (CA Youth Tobacco Survey) Data
• Tobacco-Free School Policies
• Tobacco-Free School Certifications
• Surveys & Posters
• School Wide Activities
• Peer Educator Activities
• Tobacco Related Events

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.

Community In Crisis 9 Church Street Bernardsville, NJ 07924

Tel: 973.434.0911

Mailing Address: PO Box 85 Liberty Corner, NJ 07938 [email protected]

• The Community Hub
• Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest Community in Crisis news straight to your inbox!

© 2024 Community in Crisis.

• Your Resource Options
• Family Connections Support Group
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856-691-6676

Educating Youth On The Dangers Of Drugs

#1 School Educator Internationally on Vaping & Fentanyl

We’ve presented to 11,500 schools and over 15 MILLION Students in all 50 states in the US and Over 1 Million Students across the globe.

OUR MISSION:

To steer youth straight toward making sound, rational decisions through a learning experience that provides a message of reality to help them make positive, informed choices.

Our Speaker/ Presenter Team

Michael DeLeon

Crystal Vallee

Detective Rich Wistocki

Cyber Safety Training Presentations Training for Students (2-12), Parents and Faculty

Featured National Celebrity Speakers

Navarone garcia.

Teaming up with Michael DeLeon this school year for limited appearances is emerging Rock Star Navarone Garcia, the son of Priscilla Presley. A famous musician from a famous musical family, Navarone himself has an incredible story to tell. More importantly, he has a message for his audiences. Addicted to fentanyl, his life became an unravelling mess and he is able to share this cautionary tale with High School Students, College Students and Adult audiences everywhere. Teamed with his mentor, Michael DeLeon, he delivers this story wrapped in an educational way. People will learn from his mistakes.

NEDY is an amazing young singer/ musician with an even more amazing story. The term Bullying has been thrown around and twisted and altered to fit a narrative but has it ever gotten better? In the mental health crisis our kids have fond themselves in, is a sense of purpose something kids hear about? NEDY delivers multiple Keynote presentations that literally change her audiences. Kids walk away with a better understanding of their purpose. She is a keynote speaker audiences will never forget.

Teen Portal

Resources for Teens

Drug Education School Presentations

#1 Booked School Prevention Program in America

Parent Portal

Parents Coaching Corner with Jheri South

Steered Straight: Help Us Save Lives

Give our youth the facts they need to live healthy, productive lives.

Please help by donating. Thank you!

Donate Now! →

Check Us Out On Instagram!

View this profile on Instagram Steered Straight Inc (@ steeredstraight ) • Instagram photos and videos

We Are Also On TikTok!

@steeredstraight

Steered Straight School Assemblies

Vaping Me Crazy!

#1 Requested School Assembly in America

Is vaping safe?

Negative Effects of Vaping Trends. Bottom line—the use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens and young adults.

“Thank you so much for coming to our school and speaking about drug abuse and vapes and what it can do to young kids. After that I’m never gonna touch a vape ever again now that I understand what I’m putting into my body. Do you know how many students quit nicotine since u came? It’s crazy! Some of the most addicted people in our SCHOOL quit and stuck with it because of you!  U have helped so many people. You made me rethink things before it got bad and you helped a lot of us quit. I don’t know if words can describe how thankful we are that you came and shared your story!!! U saved a lot of students. It’s sad but it truly has turned many people’s lives around. You lived it and u turned it around and so many people wanna be like you!”

Fentanyl Awareness – One Pill Can Kill

“Fake & Fatal” – the Truth About Fentanyl Heroin’s synthetic cousin is one of the deadliest drugs in the world.

Unfortunately, the rate of fatal teen overdoses is on a steep upward trend with fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s important that students, teachers, school administrators, parents and community officials get a thorough fentanyl education so they know more about it and how to handle its effects.

Our in-depth presentation teaches students how the epidemic started, how it’s getting worse and how they can stop it, as well as the evolution from opioids to heroin. They are provided with methods on how to avoid involvement and prevent it from affecting them personally so they are able to make good decisions and right choices.

We also offer the only fentanyl curriculum available.  It’s time to find out with good fentanyl instruction so we can stop lining the pockets of drug cartels and drug dealers with no concern for its effects on our youth!

Stay In Your Lane!

Unique lessons on how Choices & Decisions can affect the rest of your life.

Our premier all-encompassing student assembly to help students learn the importance of making healthy life choices.

This presentation incorporates the important topics of:

• Drug and alcohol abuse awareness
• Dating violence
• Gangs and gang violence as they relate to choices and decisions.

Presenters with real life stories help students understand the importance of making healthy life choices!

Be the HERO of Your Story

Empowers students to take control of their destinies. Starting with the idea that each person is the protagonist in the grand epic of their lives, the program encourages students to wear the cape of their own life.

The main goals include fostering resilience, self-discovery, and understanding personal strengths and weaknesses. By embracing uniqueness and facing challenges as opportunities for character development. The program aims to guide students on a transformative quest to become the hero of their own narritive. Promoting purpose and growth in their stories.

Other School Assemblies

“weed between the lines”.

The Truth About Marijuana Open student’s eyes on the misconceptions of marijuana and the harmful effects.

“ Break the Silence ”

Bullying Prevention Program Help students recognize and correctly manage bullying.

“ Alternatives to Violence ”

How to Deal With Aggressive Behavior

Why Steered Straight?

When you book a day with Steered Straight, you get so much more than just a talk about drugs.

Right after school, we provide a one to two hour Staff Professional Development and a two-hour Parent/Community Academy that same evening.

Our Founder

Through his personal journey with addiction, Michael DeLeon found his passion: to educate today’s youth to stay on the right path when it comes to serious life issues, especially drugs . He is the #1 booked school presenter in the country.

Upon his release from prison in 2007, Michael founded Steered Straight, Inc., a non-profit organization designed to carry an important message to youth on the extreme dangers of drugs, gang involvement and associated criminal activity.

Michael’s message resonates with students, teachers and parents, giving them down-to-earth direction on how to deal with making positive choices regarding real life issues.

Michael is the National Director of Youth Outreach and School Programs for Victoria’s Voice Foundation. He has collaborated with VVF to bring specific prevention education to more than 1 million students in the past 2 years including Naloxone Education through the Get, Give, Save Campaign and Stay In Your Lane!, the collaborative continuing education curriculum used in schools in more than 40 states.

Book Michael or another of our inspiring speakers for your school presentation today!

Table Talks

Making Parents the most important influence in their child’s life!

It starts with one conversation a day. Talk with your kids, not at them!

More than 365 three-minute conversations to deepen your parent-child connection and give your child a true perspective regarding drugs and alcohol, relationships, goal setting, defining who they are and who they want to become in life.

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child

At Steered Straight, our goal is to create a strong village in each community we touch by delivering our message and educating parents, teachers, school administrators and staff, police officers, churches and other community groups who have a vested interest in seeing that youth today grow up to be strong, healthy and responsible citizens.

Go to Programs to see how we are building villages across America!

What Educators Are Saying…

“Michael has a wonderfully powerful message to give, and the kids respond to him well. He is captivating and very “real”, and the kids just soak up the information he puts out.”

– Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office

“The Steered Straight presentation sent a out a non-filtered message that is needed to reach some of our most challenging students. It was a honor to be selected as a sponsored school and to have your program at our school touching lives.” – Cypress Run Education Center

Steered Straight – Impacting Today’s Youth

In this era of addictions, overdoes and drug poisonings, the message is vital…but so is the messenger.  Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. The messenger must be believed for the message to get through.

Steered Straight, Michael DeLeon and our Recovery Army of speakers do this effectively and powerfully, which is why audiences say they have never been impacted on these issues like seen through the Steered Straight program.

Steered Straight is the #1 Booked School Prevention Program in America plus video

Steered Straight delivers the very best in Primary Prevention plus video

As Seen On:

Modules for tobacco & nicotine education

E-Cigarette and Vape Pen Module

Introduction.

This module provides an understanding of the inner workings of e-cigarettes, the content of the aerosols they produce, and thirdhand smoke.

Please note: e-cigarettes,  vape pens, etc. may be abbreviated as e-cigs or vapes, and refer to any device similar to an e-cigarette.

Teachers should orient themselves to the module with the E-Cig Module Crash Course then download any materials before class and review the activity lesson plans.

Speakers' notes are embedded in the PowerPoint.

Each Unit has a Kahoot! Quiz linked below and can be used a pre and post quiz to see how much students know before and after instruction.

Discussion Guides found below can be assigned as take-home assignments.

Module Goals

1. Increase knowledge about basic facts of e-cigarettes and the harm they cause

2. Gain awareness of strategies manufacturers and sellers of e-cigarettes employ to increase use among adolescents, such as deceptive and creative marketing strategies

3. Gain skills to refuse experimentation and use of e-cigarettes.

Educator Crash Courses

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Free printable to elevate your AI game 🤖

How to Talk to Teens About Vaping So They Will Listen

Teen vaping use is at an all time high.

Teen vaping use is at an all-time high, according to research from the National Institute of Health. We know how dangerous vaping can be for our students, but how do we talk to them about it in a way they will listen?

This free guide on teen vaping prevention can help.

Inside, you’ll find information on free anti-vaping curriculum, facts about vaping every teacher should know, myths about vaping and how to respond, and classroom discussion questions.

Plus, you’ll get a free mini poster on how vaping impacts the body

Many teens know about vaping’s impact on the lungs and respiratory system but don’t know how vaping can take a toll on the rest of their bodies. Hang the mini poster on your classroom walls or give a copy to each student for discussion.

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Vaping and the Risks | Full Lesson | Download and Go! | PPT | KS3-4 | PSHE

Subject: Personal, social and health education

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

1 December 2021

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Downloadable PowerPoint ready to use in your classroom!

This resource is aligned with components from the PSHE Association Programme of Study.

Topic : Vaping is seen as a safer alternative to cigarettes, but did you know, that vaping/e-cigarettes have risks too? They contain dangerous chemicals and nicotine which can lead to heart attacks, increased blood pressure and irritation of the lungs! It has not gone unnoticed that vaping is becoming more popular amongst young people and it’s hardly surprising with the products having such glamorous ad campaigns. Let’s raise awareness on the dangers of vaping!

This lesson provides a base knowledge of vaping and informs learners about the risks involved. The lesson also introduces learners to the advertising aspects of vaping and prompts them to investigate marketing stratergies.

Teacher Slides : The teacher slides are colour coded in blue and can be found at the beginning of the PowerPoint. The teacher slides provide information about the resource and how to use it with your learners.

Assessing learning has never been easier with our colour coded slides that match our learning outcomes!

Engaging content : Our PowerPoints include creative content and activities to keep your learners engaged and thinking!

WAGOLL : What a Good One Looks Like! Our lessons include WAGOLL example slides to give learners inspiration or to help them check their answers and add notes!

Additional Information : It is highly recommended that this PPT is downloaded with other SLEducation Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco - Vaping and the Risks resources.

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Vaping and the Risks | Big Bundle |KS3-4 | PSHE

**Downloadable PDF Worksheets and PowerPoint Presentations - ready to use in your classroom!** **These resources are aligned with components from the PSHE Association Programme of Study.** **Topic**: Vaping is seen as a safer alternative to cigarettes, but did you know, that vaping/e-cigarettes have risks too? They contain dangerous chemicals and nicotine which can lead to heart attacks, increased blood pressure and irritation of the lungs! It has not gone unnoticed that vaping is becoming more popular amongst young people and it’s hardly surprising with the products having such glamorous ad campaigns. Let’s raise awareness on the dangers of vaping! **This bundle contains the following resources:** * Vaping and the Risks - PDF Worksheet * Vaping and the Risks - PPT * Pack of 24 Discussion Cards! * Word Search **Buy as a bundle for huge savings!**

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INDEPTH: An Alternative to Suspension or Citation

Teen tobacco use has long been linked to lifelong dependency, with 9 out of 10 cigarette users claiming they picked up their first cigarette before the age of 18. The introduction of e-cigarettes has amplified the problem: Over the course of just one year, vaping's popularity grew from 2.1 million in 2017 to 3.6 million in 2018, prompting the U.S. Surgeon General to declare e-cigarette use among our youth an epidemic. Teens are getting hooked on tobacco and instead of getting education or support, they are getting suspended from school or other disciplinary measures. INDEPTH® is a new way to help.

About INDEPTH

Intervention for Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco and Health (INDEPTH) is a new, convenient alternative to suspension or citation that helps schools and communities address the teen vaping problem in a more supportive way. Instead of solely focusing on punitive measures, INDEPTH is an interactive program that teaches students about nicotine dependence, establishing healthy alternatives and how to kick the unhealthy addiction that got them in trouble in the first place.

Developed by the American Lung Association in partnership with the Prevention Research Center of West Virginia University, this new free education program is available for any school or community to establish to help our teens make healthier choices.

INDEPTH is an alternative to suspension program that teaches young people about the risk factors to nicotine addiction and ways to quit vaping.

Why We Need INDEPTH

Research suggests that school policies prohibiting tobacco product use, when consistently enforced, are an essential part of lowering teen tobacco use rates. It is just as important that all policies are balanced with educational programming for teens to further understand the consequences of lifelong dependence and addiction along with proven-effective strategies in supporting ultimate cessation should they want to quit. Read more:

• Public Health Law Center's Addressing Student Tobacco Use in Schools
• Tobacco Free School Campus Policy Template Language
• E-cigarettes facts and resources

How INDEPTH Works

INDEPTH is taught by any trained adult in four, 50-minutes sessions. Each session addresses a different tobacco-related issue and can be facilitated either one-on-one or in a group setting. The goal of every program is to educate students about nicotine dependence and cravings and ultimately guide them through the process of identifying their own reasons for chewing, smoking or vaping tobacco products.

Any adult can complete the online INDEPTH training, and facilitators receive a step-by-step guide that can be used to plan and implement the INDEPTH program at their school or community-based organization.

• Session 1 Getting the Facts: Breaks down the program for participants
• Session 2 Nicotine Dependence: Explains the harmful effects of nicotine and tobacco products
• Session 3 Alternatives: Helps teens understand their urges and identify healthy alternatives to replace tobacco use.
• Session 4 Past, Present, Future: Talks about next steps and how to avoid future tobacco-related problems

Download the program outline to get a better idea of what will be covered.

After INDEPTH

Although INDEPTH is not a cessation program, 60 percent of student participants reported that they were willing to quit using tobacco products after completing the program. This is why the American Lung Association equips every INDEPTH facilitator with "after INDEPTH" resources that can help your students become and remain tobacco and nicotine-free, including access to policy support and youth cessation programming.

Not on Tobacco (N-O-T) Youth Cessation Program

The American Lung Association's Not on Tobacco (N-O-T) program is a voluntary youth-centered cessation program inclusive in addressing all tobacco product use, including e-cigarettes. This program can be made available through a referral system for students who request additional support after participating in INDEPTH. It is recommended that schools and community-based organizations implementing INDEPTH also become trained as Not on Tobacco (N-O-T) facilitators to provide a youth cessation option for those students wishing to quit.

If you are interested in becoming an American Lung Association N-O-T Facilitator to establish a voluntary youth cessation program at your school or community-based organization visit Not on Tobacco (N-O-T) to learn more. The N-O-T Facilitator Training also includes the Facilitator Training for INDEPTH.

Start Your INDEPTH Program Today

Let's stop punishing students, and instead create lasting change in tobacco and nicotine usage in your school and community by starting your own INDEPTH program. Becoming an American Lung Association INDEPTH Certified Facilitator is easy:

Register for the free INDEPTH Facilitator Training Course here.

Need more information? Call 1-800-586-4872 (1-800-LUNGUSA) or email [email protected] .

Proven Results for INDEPTH

In the spring of 2019, the American Lung Association recruited a total of 11 sites nationwide to participate in an INDEPTH pilot. The diverse pilot locations included middle schools, high schools, an alternative school and a court system and served urban, suburban and rural communities. The Research & Evaluation Group at Public Health Management Corporation (R&E Group), the Lung Association's external evaluator, developed online surveys to gather feedback and measure the program's effectiveness. It surveyed student participants, adults who facilitated the program and administrators from schools or sites where the program was implemented, to better understand the benefits and updates that were needed. These results guided additional edits to the curriculum, updates to training protocols and enhanced marketing and educational resources. Learn more about the pilot evaluation and results here:

• INDEPTH Pilot Evaluation Summary 
• INDEPTH Pilot Evaluation Infographic

Learn more about INDEPTH and getting started as a certified facilitator by calling 1-800-586-4872 (1-800-LUNGUSA) or emailing [email protected] .

Already trained as an INDEPTH Facilitator?  Please log in and register  here  to access the latest facilitator resources or contact  [email protected]  . 

E-cigarettes & School Wellness Policies: Resources for Schools

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Page last updated: September 9, 2024

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Schools are putting vape detectors in bathrooms -- paid for by Juul

E-cigarette use among young people in the U.S. dropped significantly over the past year, according to a new government study. The hopeful signs come as more schools are installing high-tech vape detectors in bathrooms and locker rooms to curb student use of e-cigarettes.

Some districts are using money from a $1.7 billion legal settlement against e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs to pay for the devices. But there’s disagreement over whether monitors are the best way to address the problem, and they have raised some privacy concerns.

Nearly 1.63 million, or 6%, of high school and middle school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2024, compared with 2.13 million, or 7.7%, the previous year, according to the 2024 Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey .

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the long-term effects of vaping are not understood, but that for teens, nicotine-related changes in the brain may affect attention, learning and memory.

“We see students who would never touch a cigarette, because that's something that their parents or grandparents did,” says Michelle Mercure, the director of nationwide tobacco programs for the American Lung Association. Kids “see these products that are … tech friendly and that are flavored and those products are being marketed to them. And, unfortunately, a lot of them are … becoming addicted.”

A legal settlement with e-cigarette maker helps pay for vape detectors

In 2022, Juul settled some 5,000 lawsuits from states, counties and school districts that alleged that the e-cigarette maker used deceptive marketing aimed at teens and neglected to prevent underage sales of its products. Since then, additional suits have been settled. Money from those settlements has been used by schools from Spokane, Wash., to Orlando, Fla. , to install vape detectors.

“Ultimately, we are supportive of all actions that demonstrably combat underage use of any tobacco product, including vapor products,” a Juul spokesperson said.

The vape detectors, which resemble home smoke detectors and cost about $1,000 each, send an email or text message to school officials every time vape smoke is detected — including cannabinoid THC or CBD. They also detect loud noises that might indicate a fight has broken out and can signal staff if someone tampers with them. Vape detectors are often integrated with security cameras in halls and other public areas, so if a staff member can’t respond immediately, they might still be able to identify a student who has been vaping.

The Lincoln Public Schools district in Nebraska received about $1 million from the Juul settlement and is using the money to install vape detectors in its high schools and, eventually, the middle schools.

As part of a pilot program launched last year, the district put the devices in restrooms and locker rooms at Lincoln East High School. It didn't take long for vaping violations to decrease, says Ryan Zabawa, the district’s director of student services. In the first week of activation in October 2023, school officials received nearly 100 vaping alerts. By Christmas break, that number had dropped to just four. The district has since installed detectors in a second high school.

“It absolutely is a deterrent,” Zabawa says. Without the detectors, policing the restrooms and locker rooms for vaping was a “cat and mouse” game, he says. “Kids were doing it, but you couldn't prove it. And you really wanted to try and get it stopped.”

School officials are concerned about the health of students, and they don’t want them breaking the law. The federal minimum age for purchasing tobacco products, including vapes, is 21.

Students caught vaping often face suspension

Lincoln East senior Blake Gronewold estimates that 10% to 15% of his classmates regularly vape, “usually in the bathrooms, sometimes in the hallways and the stairwells or, if they are really bold, class.”

Fellow senior Elizabeth Mason says since the detectors went in last year, she’s noticed far fewer “groups of people just hanging out in the bathroom.”

“It's like the people in there are actually in there for the right purposes,” she says.

Students who trigger an alert are searched, and if a vape device is found, they face suspension and are required to take a vape-awareness course, Zabawa says.

While some school districts are experimenting with pilot programs, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in New York recently introduced legislation that would require the city’s Department of Education to put detectors in every public school.

Councilwoman Joann Ariola sees the legislation as a first step toward intervention for students. She also hopes that a crackdown in schools will help thwart the illegal sales of e-cigarettes.

“We get calls all the time about stores that are selling vapes illegally to minors,” she says. “These minors are using those vapes while they're in school, while they're at playgrounds. Parents are absolutely concerned, and rightly so.”

Leslie Ricciardelli, the superintendent for Florida’s Collier County Public Schools, acknowledges that some students will vape off campus regardless of the school’s approach to the problem. If parents “permit it at home, that's their choice,” she says.

After a successful pilot project that saw an 80% drop in alerts over the course of the 2022-2023 school year, the district plans to deploy detectors in all of its high schools. Ricciardelli takes a no-nonsense approach with students who get caught. “The consequences are heavy,” she says. A first-time offense with nicotine results in a suspension. A second offense — or a first when a marijuana product is involved — will land the student in an alternative school.

Some favor education over punishment

But not everyone thinks the punitive approach is the right one. The American Lung Association’s Mercure oversees the organization’s “Vape-Free Schools Initiative,” a program that focuses on education and tries to help students quit.

“Students get caught and then they’re suspended,” Mercure says. The detectors make school officials feel like the problem can be solved without addressing the underlying issues.

“Some schools have already purchased those detectors,” she says. “Are we telling them to return them? No. But if they are using them, we would encourage them to make sure that they're addressing [the issue] more broadly than just using the vape detectors.”

School officials who talked to NPR acknowledge that they sometimes get “false positives” from substances such as perfume.

Lincoln East High’s Mason spoke of a classmate who says her spray deodorant set off one of the vape detectors. “I don't think she's the type to vape,” Mason says. Nonetheless, “she got pulled out” and searched.

IPVideo Corp. makes the HALO brand system used in the Lincoln school district. According to David Antar, head of HALO product sales at parent company Motorola Solutions, its line of detectors launched about six years ago and sales have spiked as schools use Juul settlement money to install the detectors.

Antar says the HALO system is 93% accurate and that false positives are rare. If students blow vape smoke into a plastic drink bottle or their clothes to evade detection, it normally just “takes longer for it to reach our sensors. Everything's about airflow,” he says.

Vape detectors can strain student-teacher relationships

The American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes invasive student searches and seizure of student property, such as cellphones, argues that the harm caused by detectors outweighs the benefits.

The ACLU’s New York-based senior policy counsel, Chad Marlow, says surveillance technologies such as vape detectors can undermine “student relationships with the teachers and administrators who we want them to trust.” Instead, schools might be better served by “a hall monitor who has positive interactions with students and can still look out for vaping,” he says.

To be sure, there is a middle ground. On Long Island, New York, the nonprofit Lindenhurst Community Cares Coalition helped raise $39,000 to put 33 detectors in Lindenhurst Middle School. The system went online in June, so there isn’t much data yet.

But Executive Director Lori-Ann Novello says she and the Lindenhurst Union Free School District are in agreement that the detectors are meant as a “screening tool” to help students by educating rather than punishing them.

Novello says initially, it was the students’ idea. “They thought it was ridiculous that students were being suspended,” she says, only to be sent home where they would be free to vape.

The coalition hopes to tap some of Suffolk County’s $8.8 million share of the Juul settlement to expand to other local schools.

“It’s not a gotcha,” says Lindenhurst district Superintendent Vincent Caravana. “It's not a goal to try to catch someone, to suspend them and to make an example out of them.

“We kind of all universally believe and recognize that addiction is a powerful thing and it's a problem, and we want to address that before it becomes even more of a problem.”

Copyright 2024 NPR

911 call records, radio messages released in Georgia school shooting investigation

by Associated Press

WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia county's emergency call center was overwhelmed by calls on Sept. 4 about a school shooting at Apalachee High School, records released Friday by Barrow County show.

Local news organizations report many of the 911 phone calls were not released under public record requests because state law exempts from releasing calls recording the voice of someone younger than 18 years old. That exemption would cover calls from most of the 1,900 students at the school in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.

Calls spiked around 10:20 a.m., when authorities have said that 14-year-old Colt Gray began shooting. Many calls were answered with automated messages saying there was a “high call volume," WAGA-TV reported.

One man called 911 after receiving text messages from a girlfriend. He was put on hold for just over 10 minutes because of an influx of calls at the time of the shooting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

She hears people yelling outside, so I don’t know if that’s officers in the building or that’s — I don’t know,” he said, adding that she was eventually evacuated out of the school.

Other adults also called 911 after their children contacted them.

My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go ‘boom, boom, boom, boom,’ ” one mother said. The 911 operator responded: “Ma’am we have officers out there, OK?”

Parents of students at an elementary school and middle school neighboring Apalachee also flooded 911 seeking information.

“Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?" one caller asked.

“We do have an active situation (at) Apalachee High School right now," the operator responded. "We have a lot of calls coming in.”

More than 500 radio messages between emergency personnel were also released Friday.

“Active shooter!” an officer yells in one audio clip while speaking with a dispatcher, CNN reported. Another officer responds, “Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School.”

The shooting killed teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of those hit by gunfire.

Colt Gray is charged as an adult with four counts of murder, and District Attorney Brad Smith has said more charges are likely to be filed against him in connection with the wounded. Authorities have also charged his father, Colin Gray, alleging that he gave his son access to the gun when he knew or should have known that the teen was a danger to himself and others.

The 13,000 students at Barrow County’s other schools returned to class Tuesday. The 1,900 students who attend Apalachee are supposed to start returning the week of Sept. 23, officials said Friday.