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 [email protected].
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.
Parent Toolkit Videos
Video One: The Youth Vaping Epidemic
Youth vaping is on the rise and parents need to be equipped with e-cigarette knowledge. This video covers four facts about youth vaping and how your child might be impacted by the epidemic.
Video Two: Strategies to Support Your Child’s Healthy Decisions
Checking in with your child can help them make healthy decisions, including the decision to not use e-cigarettes. In this video, you will learn simple, yet effective ways to check in with your child and support healthy decisions.
Video Three: Could Your Child be Vaping?
E-cigarettes can sometimes be hard to spot, making your job as a parent more challenging. In this video, you will learn how to identify e-cigarette and vaping products. You will also learn of common signs of vaping and nicotine addiction.
Video Four: 4 Reasons to Talk to Your Child about E-Cigarettes Today
Talking with your child about smoking and vaping can be difficult, and some parents avoid the discussion altogether. In this video, you will learn the important reasons why you should talk with your child about vaping.
Video Five: How to Talk to Your Child about E-Cigarettes
Talking to your child about smoking and vaping doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In this video, you will learn four tips to effectively talk with your child about vaping.
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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