Vaping and Nicotine

Vaping continues to be a major public health concern among middle and high school students. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, more than 2 million students in the U.S. reported using e-cigarettes in 2023. While nicotine use can cause harmful health effects for anyone, it’s especially detrimental for adolescents because their brains are still developing. One of our goals at 3rd Millennium Classrooms is to address nicotine use, which is why we developed Nicotine 101.

Nicotine 101 is an online course with an emphasis on vaping, but also addresses the use of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and hookah. It’s designed as both an intervention and prevention course for students. In the course, participants will identify their individual use, explore reasons why they use, and understand the consequences of use. Those who don’t use nicotine will be reaffirmed in their choices. The course provides participants with a personalized feedback report, optional follow-up texts, and detailed resources for quitting, among other useful features.

Quitting nicotine isn’t easy, but with support and guidance it’s possible. We use up-to-date, evidence-based strategies in all of our courses. Nicotine 101 incorporates the following evidence-based practices:

Normative Perceptions is used to help students realize that although vaping may appear to be popular, not everyone is using nicotine despite what they believe. By addressing student’s perceptions and correcting their misperceptions, we promote healthy behaviors and alternatives to vaping. The course will help challenge cultural norms and social pressures for vaping.
Risk Perception measures how much of a risk someone thinks a behavior is. Those who believe nicotine use is low-risk will be more likely to engage in the behavior. In Nicotine 101, students will learn about the higher risk that adolescents and their developing brains have of becoming addicted to vaping. Additionally, they’ll learn about the adverse effects on physical and mental health from both short- and long-term nicotine use.
Protective Behavior Strategies/Skills Training
Personalized Feedback is a key component of Nicotine 101. Upon completing the course, students receive a confidential feedback report that ultimately helps facilitate behavior change. Used for decades, the tool has helped produce favorable outcomes in the reduction and prevention of nicotine use in youth.