CATCH collaborated with researchers at Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health to create CATCH My Breath™, a youth e-cigarette, JUUL, and vape prevention program specific to grades 5-12. The 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.
Interested in previewing the CATCH My Breath nicotine vaping prevention program? Create an account to preview all of the lessons. If you have specific questions regarding the curriculum or would like to speak to a member of our team, please email catchmybreath@catch.org.
Help prevent youth e-cigarette use by supporting the CATCH My Breath program.
The spike in e-cigarette use among youth has been called an “epidemic” and “public health crisis” by the US Surgeon General. As of 2019, 27.5% of high school and 10.5% of middle school students vape (source: 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey).
CATCH My Breath is an evidence-based program shown to significantly reduce the likelihood of vaping in the year following program implementation.
Just $10 brings effective vaping prevention education to 65 kids.
E-cigarettes are increasingly popular among adolescents, and currently there are limited options for education and prevention curriculum specifically targeted at E-cigarettes. While the purchase of E-cigarettes by minors is prohibited, the use
of E-cigarettes among youth and adolescents is on the rise. This is particularly concerning as the liquid in E-cigarettes contains nicotine, and the chemicals in nicotine liquids are not currently regulated for safety standards, with unknown
health effects. The toxicology of E-cigarettes is uncertain.
The goal of CATCH My Breath is to increase students’ knowledge of e-cigarettes, nicotine, and addiction while mitigating their intended use of the product in the future. Our aim is to empower and educate teachers, parents, and health professionals
in the school/after-school setting to equip students with answers about e-cigarettes to make informed decisions.
The program’s key learning objectives include: knowledge of E-cigarettes and potential harms, understanding and analyzing deceptive advertising techniques, developing and practicing socially acceptable refusal skills and practicing peer modeling
techniques in small groups. Specifically, the intended outcomes are to ensure that students will:
Understand that E-cigarettes are addictive, unhealthy and not as popular as they think.
Resist their own curiosity and peer pressure to experiment with e-cigarettes.
Influence friends and peers to not use e-cigarettes.
Who is intended to teach the program?
CATCH My Breath was designed to be taught by teachers, tobacco prevention educators, counselors, nurses, and other public health advocates. The curriculum can be taught in various in-school subjects and youth-based organizations. The curriculum
includes active student-centered learning facilitated by peer leaders.
What is the target age for the CATCH My Breath Program?
The target age 10-18 for students in elementary, middle and high schools.
What training is provided?
The required training is facilitated in a virtual setting via online video or live webinar. The content is broken into three parts, and totals roughly 30 minutes. Certificates of completion can be provided for teachers needing supporting documentation
for continuing education credit.
Should your organization like a personalized training, please email catchmybreath@catch.org for more details.
You may enroll in the program via our website, here.
Who developed the program?
The program was developed by Dr. Steven H. Kelder of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Center (MSD Center) for Healthy Living. The MSD Center
is a national Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science site.
What have other teachers said about the CATCH My Breath program?
Click to download a one-pager on pilot data findings
The CATCH Global Foundation, in conjunction with the UTSPH, conducted a pilot project in May 2016 among teachers in 26 pilot sites, across 5 states and involving 2,255 students. Twenty-eight
teachers provided feedback which included the following:
91 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the lessons were culturally appropriate for their students
91 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they felt confident in their ability to teach the curriculum
86 percent agreed that the additional teacher resources provided sufficient background information to teach the lessons
73 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the peer leadership model worked well
68 percent agreed or strongly agreed that their students enjoyed the lessons
See Who’s Talking About CATCH My Breath
“Juul and the vape debate: Choosing between smokers and teens”
Interested in a short and informative video on E-cigarettes from the United States Surgeon General? Check out this video from the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living’s Lectureship in Child Health.
“E-CIGARETTES ARE NOT HARMLESS .” U.S. SURGEON GENERAL, JEROME M. ADAMS, M.D., M.P.H
Resources
For more information on the research behind CATCH My Breath, how CATCH is involved, and our findings on the need for this program, take a look at these PDF downloads:
CATCH is based on the CDC Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model in which health education, school environment, and family/community involvement work together to support youth in a healthy lifestyle.
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