# of Schools 0
# of Kids Served 0
Project Start 2017

Funders:

CVS Health


CATCH My Breath is a best-practices youth E-cigarette and JUUL prevention program developed by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health. Implemented in nearly every state across the nation, the program provides up-to-date information to teachers, parents, and health professionals to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions about the use of E-cigarettes, including JUUL devices. CATCH My Breath utilizes a peer-led teaching approach and meets National and State Health Education Standards.

To learn more about the CATCH My Breath program, click here.

Project Summary

Thanks to several key advocates at both the state and local levels, implementation of the CATCH My Breath program reached 56 school districts across New York State during the 2018-2019 school year. Collaboration between the CATCH team and many partners throughout NYS contributed to the rapid growth. During the year, teachers, public health advocates, and parents participated in trainings, presentations, conferences, and webinars provided by CATCH. Development continues with the New York City Department of Education, Reality Check, local health departments and the CATCH team for further expansion of the program throughout NYS.

In order to meet the need for e-cigarette prevention across the state, the CATCH team conducted personalized presentations for several local health departments, school districts and community-based organizations. Ongoing support from the Erie County Health Department, Southern Tier Tobacco Awareness Coalition, substance abuse prevention organizations, New York State Association for Health, Physical Education Recreation and Dance (NY AHPERD) and CATCH My Breath Ambassadors, Crissy Groenewegen and Maryann Moriarty contribute to the continued growth across the state.

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Outcomes

Since 2017, CATCH has delivered considerable impact across New York. By the end of the 2018-2019 school year, 77 schools implemented the CATCH My Breath program, reaching 21,025 students. A testimonial from an 8th grade student after finishing the program, “Kids don’t think about the long term effects. Stop now while you can. When I first heard of vaping, I thought it was safer than cigarettes but after the curriculum, I know about all the chemicals that are in an e-cigarette.”


“Kids don’t think about the long term effects. Stop now while you can. When I first heard of vaping, I thought it was safer than cigarettes but after the curriculum, I know about all the chemicals that are in an e-cigarette.”

- Anonymous 8th Grade Student, P.S. 19 Judith K. Weiss School

“What I liked about the program was it did a lot of group activities. They came up with ways to be self-reliant and get away from peer pressure.”

- Timothy Sullivan, Principal, P.S. 19 Judith K. Weiss School

“If you know what’s inside of them and it could be harmful then it’s easy to say no.”

- Rocky Simoni, 6th Grade Student, P.S. 19 Judith K. Weiss School

“During the 2018-2019 school year, PS 19 did not record a single incident into the OORS System related to vaping or the possession of e-cigs or any vaping paraphernalia.”

- Ted Czerniewski, Assistant Principal, P.S. 19 Judith K. Weiss School

“Now that I learned it’s really bad, I definitely will not do it.”

- Victoria Franciamore, 6th Grade Student, P.S. 19 Judith K. Weiss School

“This looks good to me. I am a family doc in a rural county FQHC with a School-Based Health Clinics program… This curriculum is exactly what we need. I like peer facilitators, index card activity, game of improv refusals, adult interview assignment. All good engagement tools.”

- Joe Supple, Teacher & Coach, Oceanside High School

“I didn’t know that vaping was so bad. A lot of people do it because other people do it. I would tell them to stop now that I know how bad it is.”

- Anonymous 8th Grade Student, P.S. 19 Judith K. Weiss School

“To be successful with this program a teacher must be well prepared, know their audience and make a connection with your students. Be a facilitator! Students will always respond in a positive way when you give them ownership of their own learning.”

- Maryann Moriarty, CATCH My Breath NY Ambassador
Funders
CVS Health

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its 9,700 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 90 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs.

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