E-Cigarette Prevention

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.

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.

The target age 10-18 for students in elementary, middle and high schools.

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.

The program is available at no cost to schools thanks to generous funding support from CVS Health.

You may enroll in the program via our website, here.

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.

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

View All CATCH My Breath Press

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

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:

• Key E-Cigarette Information
• About the Program
• Pilot Data Findings

From the Surgeon General / U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ E-Cigarette website:

• “Talk with Your Teens About E-cigarettes: A Tip Sheet for Parents”
• Fact Sheet
• Video PSA: “Any Volunteers? The Risk of E-Cigarettes for Young People” 

The Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science (TCORS) produces webinars, available on their YouTube page.
Information on recent FDA Ruling on E-cigarettes and other Tobacco Products:

• The Deeming Regulation: FDA Authority Over E-cigarettes, Cigars, and other Tobacco Products (From
  Public Health Law Center)
• State and Local Tobacco Regulation in a Post-Deeming World (From Public Health Law
  Center)
• One Pager on May 2016’s Tobacco and Nicotine Ruling
• Austin American Statesman Article on teen E-cigarette use citing the work of CATCH My Breath developer Steve Kelder

From CDC:

• CDC’s “Notes from the Field: Electronic Cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2011–2012”
• CDC’s “E-cigarette Ads and Youth”
• “No decline in overall youth tobacco use since 2011,” a report on youth tobacco use from the CDC

From Truth Initiative:

• Truth Initiative’s “E-Cigarettes: Facts, Stats and Regulations”
• Truth Initiative’s “Action Needed on E-Cigarettes”

Other:

• Contemporary Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine’s “E-cigarettes: A Scientific Review” (PDF)