American Lung Association Partners with Schools to Address Youth Vaping

According to the American Lung Association (Lung.org), the nation is facing a youth e-cigarette epidemic. Last year alone, there was a 78% increase in high school kids vaping, and according to preliminary data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, 27.5% of youth are now using e-cigarettes. This dramatic increase in vaping places youths’ developing lungs at risk of irreversible lung damage and disease, and sets them up for a lifetime of addiction to tobacco products. The American Lung Association is offering schools new resources to deal with this urgent issue, including a new program to support and educate students about the risks of e-cigarette use as an alternative to school suspension.

Intervention for Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco and Health (INDEPTHTM ) is a new, convenient alternative to suspension program that helps schools address the teen vaping problem in a supportive way.

Instead of solely focusing on punitive measures, INDEPTHTM is an interactive program that teaches teens about nicotine dependence, establishing healthy alternatives and how to beat tobacco addiction. Taught by a trained adult facilitator, each session addresses a different tobacco-related issue and can be facilitated either one-on-one or in a group setting in schools or community-based organizations.

After completing INDEPTHTM, 60% of student participants reported that they were willing to quit using tobacco products after completing the program. In addition, as a natural complement to INDEPTHTM, schools seeking to implement teen tobacco cessation programs can sign up for the American Lung Association›s Not On Tobacco (N-O-T) program, a voluntary teen-centered cessation program inclusive in addressing all tobacco product use, including e-cigarettes.

Schools can sign up for INDEPTHTM and N-O-T at Lung.org/indepth. More information about e-cigarettes and lung health can be found at Lung.org/ecigs, including resources to help prevent teens from starting and to help them quit.

For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit Lung.org.