Be a Part of the Conversation has been partnering with school leaders and others who care about kids’ health and well-being, in an effort to increase awareness about vaping. “Clearing the Air About Vaping” is intended for parents, educators, health care providers or anyone concerned about this national trend and its impact on youth.

Kids are wired to try new things. The current trend, both nationally and locally, is vaping.

As parents, educators, and a community that cares, we need to have a conversation about vaping, along with other risky behaviors.

  • We’ll discuss ways we can help kids to break away from cultural pressures.

  • The teenage brain is built to take risks. How can we encourage smart choices?

  • Vaping can involve flavored liquids, nicotine, or cannabis. We’ll learn about the implications of each.

“There was so much great information from so many experts and different perspectives.”


“The best part was simply having professionals imparting basic knowledge.”


“It was helpful to learn about the intense levels (of nicotine and other chemicals) that are in vape devices, the accessibility/allure of vaping, and some harmful effects that are occurring.”


“This presentation was amazing.”


“The conversation was a great start. Vaping etc. is really scary and on the rise.”


“The presentation solidified my feelings of empowerment as a parent!”


“Great topic. Very informative!”


“I was very pleased to hear what is being said and done to have youth aware of the effects. I feel like there are good resources available if we need further information. The key was the fact that parents need to connect, and that kids want that!”

↓View a recording of Dave Fialko’s Presentation↓

↓View Caron Treatment Center’s PowerPoint Presentation↓

↓Additional Information from Be a Part of the Conversation↓

Our Presenters & Moderators

David Fialko, BS, ICPS, NCTTS – Council of Southeast Pennsylvania

Christine Storm, MPH, Regional Director of Education – Caron Treatment Centers

Gretchen Hagenbuch, Student Assistance Program Coordinator, Philadelphia Region – Caron Treatment Centers

Patrick Dowling, LPC, a Licensed Professional Counselor 

Kim Porter, CFRS – Executive Director, Be a Part of the Conversation 

Judy Hirsh, JD, CFRS – Program Director, Be a Part of the Conversation 

Helpful Information

Center for Disease Control – Notes from the Field:

E-cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2022


2021 Monitoring the Future Survey Results

Monitoring the Future is an annual survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders conducted by researchers at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. Since 1975, the survey has measured how teens report their drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes in 12th graders nationwide; 8th and 10th graders were added to the survey in 1991.

For the first time in 2017 MTF asked about the vaping of three specific substances—nicotine, marijuana, and just flavoring.


Vaping Toolkit
Montgomery County Office of Drug & Alcohol


Vaping 101: What Every Parent Needs to Know
Center for Parent & Teen Communication


F.D.A. Seizes Documents From Juul Headquarters
New York Times, October 2, 2018


2 Million US Teens Are Vaping Marijuana
US News & World Report, September 17, 2018


Juul, the Vape Device Teens are Getting Hooked on, Explained
VOX, August 17, 2018


Protect Our Playgrounds from Vaping/E-Cigarettes
PlaygroundEquipment.org


Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention


Know the Risks:  e-cigarettes and young people.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services


E-cigarettes & Vape Pens
Stanford Medicine


Vaporizers, E-Cigarettes, and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)
FDA US Food & Drug


“Vaping Can Be Addictive and May Lure Teenagers to Smoking, Science Panel Concludes”
New York Times, January 23, 2018


E-cigarette Sellers Turn to Scholarships to Promote Brands
Associated Press, June 8, 2018


Drug Facts:  Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigarettes)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)


The Teen Vaping Trend – What Parents Need to Know
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids


Teenagers Embrace JUUL, Saying It’s Discreet Enough To Vape In Class
“Shots” Health News from NPR


Concerns Explode Over New Health Risks of Vaping
Science News for Students


Juul e-cigs: The controversial vaping device popular on school campuses
USA Today


Association Between Initial Use of e-Cigarettes and Subsequent Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescents and Young Adults
JAMA Pediatrics (Journal of the American Medical Association)

E-Cigarette use was associated with greater risk for subsequent cigarette smoking initiation and past 30-day cigarette smoking. Strong e-cigarette regulation could potentially curb use among youth and possibly limit the future population-level burden of cigarette smoking.


E-Cigarette Ads Target Millions of Kids, CDC Says
NBC News


Big Vape is Copying Big Tobacco’s Playbook
The Verge

Studies into the argument that vaping leads to smoking cessation continue to have mixed findings. Meanwhile, studies on the health risks of vaping have different results based on whether they were funded by tobacco companies, or non-affiliated public researchers.


2019 Monitoring the Future Survey Results

Monitoring the Future is an annual survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders conducted by researchers at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. Since 1975, the survey has measured how teens report their drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes in 12th graders nationwide; 8th and 10th graders were added to the survey in 1991.

42,500 students from 396 public and private schools participated in the 2019 survey.

>> Explanation of Results

>> View the Infographic

Handouts