Abstract | December 20, 2022
“So what if I vape…”: A Short Program for Middle School Students about the Impacts of Vaping Nicotine-containing Electronic Cigarettes
Learning Objectives
- Discuss the importance of vaping education for adolescents.
- Be better prepared to be more familiar with e-cigarettes’ impact on adolescents' health and the growing prevalence in schools.
Introduction: Vaping is a prominent issue impacting adolescent health across the country, with many children not understanding the deleterious effects of nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes. Vaping prevalence in adolescents has been increasing over the past decade, resulting in a serious and worsening and worsening public health issue. Vaping devices have been associated with numerous health impacts, including addiction and acute lung injury. Limited curricula exist focusing on short, one class-length programs targeting the impacts of vaping for adolescents.
Goal and Objectives: This community project seeks to develop a short program that will inform middle school students in Greenville County, South Carolina, about vaping. The main objectives were to provide information on the definition of vaping, the contents of vape pods, why people vape, an introduction to , an introduction to addiction, vaping’s impact on health, and steps to quit vaping.
Methods: An initial slideshow presentation on these topics was prepared by medical students at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville in partnership with the Prisma Health Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health and Advocacy. Medical student volunteers were recruited and familiarized with the slideshow material before interacting with Greenville County students; they worked in groups of one to three medical students to deliver the presentation. This presentation was first given over the course of twelve forty-minute health classes. Classes were separated by gender and grade level; sixth, seventh, and eighth graders all received instruction.
Future Steps: Future goals of this project include presenting in every middle school in the county yearly and folding delivery into the Pediatrics Residency Program at Prisma Health’s Children Hospital in Greenville with the assistance of medical students to ensure longevity.
References:
- CATCH My Breath National Campaign and Vaping Prevention Curricula, which can be further reviewed here: https://catch.org/program/vaping-prevention/
