Addressing Youth Vaping in Denver: Prevention, Early Intervention and Cessation Resources for Trusted Adults
PREVENTION
Trusted adults including parents, teachers, mentors, school staff and coaches play a critical role in preventing youth from vaping. The Denver Public Schools 2021 Health Kids Colorado data shows that over 90% of middle schoolers and over 80% of high school students are not vaping. Most students can benefit from prevention!
According to Forward Together Colorado, young people who feel connected are more likely to succeed in school and work, be happier, and make healthier choices on their way to becoming adults. Three things you can do today to support teens:
Build strong relationships with teens, this article provides excellent guidance for how to do this.
Helping kids find their passion and engage in healthy activities that focus on their strengths serve as excellent protective factors during the adolescent years.
Teach coping skills to teens so they have a toolbox for facing stress. benefit from being taught coping skills and strategies. Forward Together suggests teaching kids deep breathing, guided meditation, engaging in a favorite hobby or art, reading a book or calling a friend.
Teaching youth about the risks of using substances can help them with healthy decision making. Be Vape Free offers free, fact-based education courses including Just The Facts Virtual Field Trip and Vaping Risks Revealed Self-Paced Modules.
EARLY INTERVENTION
Early intervention is critical when students begin experimenting with vaping.
Teen Intervene is a Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model that school mental health providers in Denver Public Schools can be trained in and use as an alternative to traditional discipline to support students that are using substances. The four-session intervention is a therapeutic approach to addressing the youth’s substance use. The final session includes a family meeting and provides guidance on what steps parents can take to support their child, these steps are detailed in the Teen Intervene Family Guide in English and Spanish.
To inquire about how to bring Teen Intervene to your school, contact Leah Raffa in DPS Prevention Services at Leah_Raffa@dpsk12.net.
CESSATION/TREATMENT
Some students require more intensive vaping intervention. MyLifeMyQuit, is a free, confidential quit line in Colorado. The Truth Initiative also offers tools and support to students trying to quit vaping. Additional resources for adolescents using substances can be found here.