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- Catch My Breath
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Empowering youth to live vape-free through knowledge & behavior.
CATCH My Breath is a free, evidence-based youth vaping prevention program with published evidence of reducing students’ likelihood to vape. Aligned to national and state education standards, CATCH My Breath can be taught by individuals who serve youth in grades 5-12, including educators, local and state government agencies, public health specialists, and community volunteers.
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PSA Videos
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Program Information for Parents
INTRODUCTION LETTER TO PARENTS
English version / Spanish version This letter is intended for parents whose children are going to participate in the CATCH My Breath program. (Teachers: This is the same letter mentioned in Session 0.)
PARENT INFORMATION HANDOUT
English version / Spanish version
This handout covers general program information and answers questions like “What will students learn?” and “Why is E-cigarette education needed?” If you would like more information about the program or to bring the program to your child’s school, please email catchmybreath@catch.org.
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Parent Toolkit
PARENT TOOLKIT
English version / Spanish version
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.
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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 or an in-person presentation delivered by a CATCH My Breath staff member (please email catchmybreath@catch.org.)
Parent / Community Presentation Video (English)
Parent / Community Presentation Video (Spanish)
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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.
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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 Your 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