For Schools & Educators
Supporting Students Through Education, Prevention, and Connection
Schools play an important role in preventing youth tobacco and nicotine use. Educators, administrators, school nurses, counselors, coaches, and other school staff are trusted adults who can help students understand the risks of nicotine, recognize the influence of marketing and peer pressure, and access support when they need it.
Youth nicotine use is not just a discipline issue, it is a health issue. A supportive, prevention-focused approach can help students make informed decisions and connect those who use nicotine with resources to quit.
Why Schools Should Address Nicotine Use
Nicotine products have changed significantly in recent years. While cigarettes remain a concern, many young people now encounter newer products, including:
- E-cigarettes and vapes
- Disposable vaping devices
- Nicotine pouches
- Flavored nicotine products
- Products that may contain THC or cannabis
Many of these products are small, discreet, and easy to conceal, making youth nicotine use more difficult to recognize.
Addressing nicotine use in schools helps:
- Prevent addiction before it starts
- Support student health and well-being
- Reduce classroom disruptions related to nicotine dependence
- Connect students with appropriate support
Understanding Why Students Use Nicotine
There is no single reason a student may begin using nicotine. Common influences include:
- Curiosity or experimentation
- Peer pressure or wanting to fit in
- Flavors and appealing product designs
- Social media influences
- Misunderstanding the risks
- Stress, anxiety, or difficult emotions
- A belief that vaping is safer than smoking
Understanding these influences helps schools create effective prevention strategies rather than relying only on consequences.
Prevention Starts With Education
Students benefit from accurate, age-appropriate information about tobacco and nicotine products.
Effective education can help students:
- Understand how nicotine affects the developing brain
- Recognize marketing strategies
- Understand the risks of vaping and other nicotine products
- Develop refusal and decision-making skills
- Learn healthy ways to manage stress
- Know where to find support
Prevention education works best when it is consistent and reinforced over time.
Creating a Supportive School Response
When a student is found using nicotine, the response can influence whether they seek help.
A supportive approach:
- Recognizes nicotine use as a health concern
- Avoids shame and stigma
- Provides education and resources
- Connects students with trusted adults
- Encourages behavior change
Punitive responses alone may cause students to hide their use rather than ask for help. Using diversion programs instead of school suspension keeps youth in the classroom while giving them the real support they need to succeed.
Schools can balance accountability with opportunities for learning and support.
How School Staff Can Help
Teachers and Coaches
Teachers and coaches can:
- Be aware of changing nicotine products and trends
- Create opportunities for honest conversations
- Encourage healthy coping strategies
- Refer students to appropriate supports
- Model tobacco- and nicotine-free behaviors
School Nurses and Counselors
School health professionals can:
- Screen students for nicotine use
- Provide confidential support when appropriate
- Help students develop quit plans
- Connect families with resources
- Collaborate with healthcare providers
Administrators
School leaders can:
- Support comprehensive prevention programs
- Ensure policies reflect current products and challenges
- Provide staff training
- Promote a healthy school environment
Talking With Students About Vaping
Students are more likely to engage in conversations when they feel respected and heard.
Helpful approaches include:
- Ask open-ended questions
- Listen before responding
- Avoid assumptions
- Provide facts without judgment
- Encourage students to seek support
Examples:
- “Can you tell me what you know about vaping?”
- “What are students hearing about nicotine products?”
- “Have you ever thought about quitting or cutting back?”
- “What support would be helpful?”
Supporting Students Who Want to Quit
Many students who vape or use nicotine want to stop but may not know how.
Schools can support students by:
- Connecting them with cessation resources
- Encouraging conversations with healthcare professionals
- Helping identify triggers and challenges
- Providing encouragement and follow-up
- Creating a supportive environment for change
Quitting is a process, and students may need more than one attempt before successfully stopping.
Building a Tobacco- and Nicotine-Free School Community
A comprehensive approach includes:
- Clear tobacco and nicotine-free policies
- Prevention education
- Staff awareness and training
- Student support services
- Family engagement
- Community partnerships
When schools, families, and communities work together, young people receive consistent messages about protecting their health.
Breathe New Hampshire Youth Prevention Programs
Breathe New Hampshire partners with schools and youth-serving organizations across the state to provide education and resources addressing youth tobacco and nicotine use through our Vaping Unveiled program.
Our program help students:
- Understand the risks of nicotine
- Learn how products are marketed
- Build decision-making skills
- Understand the impact of nicotine addiction
- Connect with prevention and quitting resources
Schools interested in bringing prevention education to their students can contact Breathe New Hampshire for more information or visit our Vaping Unveiled page.
