School Resources

School Lessons

Catch My Breath

https://catch.org/program/vaping-prevention/

Offers free programs for schools and additional paid trainings. CATCH My Breath’s peer-led teaching approach empowers students with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about e-cigarettes and resist social pressures to vape.

Stanford REACH Lab

https://www.med.stanford.edu/tobaccopreventiontoolkit/you-and-me-together-vape-free-curriculum.html

You and Me, Together Vape-Free curriculum (2 lessons elementary, 5-lesson series secondary) - elementary, middle and high school versions. Offers pre and post surveys. Available in Spanish.

Truth Initiative

https://truthinitiative.org/vaping-curriculum?utm_source=chatgpt.com

To educate America’s students about the dangers of e-cigarette use and reverse the pervasive youth vaping public health crisis, Truth Initiative provides a national youth vaping prevention curriculum called Vaping: Know the truth. This free digital learning experience is made available to schools by EVERFI®, the leader in social impact education, and has reached 1.5 million students with the facts they need to make informed decisions about nicotine use.

Tobacco Education Resource Library

https://digitalmedia.hhs.gov/tobacco/educator_hub?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The Vaping Prevention & Education Resource Center offers age-appropriate, cross-curricular resources to help teens learn about the dangers of vaping. Through lesson plans, activities, infographics, and videos, students are encouraged to analyze information, collect and present data to their peers, and assess the marketing tactics used to promote vaping products.

Too Good for Drugs

https://toogoodprograms.org/collections/tgfd-maximizing-life

A comprehensive K–12 prevention education program that helps students build the confidence, communication, and decision-making skills needed to make healthy choices and avoid risky behaviors involving alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs (ATOD).

LifeSkills Training by Botvin

https://www.lifeskillstraining.com/botvin-lifeskills-training-elementary-school-program/

https://www.lifeskillstraining.com/botvin-lifeskills-training-middle-school-program/

https://www.lifeskillstraining.com/botvin-lifeskills-training-high-school-program/

Proven to be the most effective evidence-based program used in schools today, LifeSkills Training is comprehensive, dynamic, and developmentally designed to promote mental health and positive youth development.

Talk2Prevent Resources from OASAS

https://talk2prevent.ny.gov/

Educational materials and conversation starters to lead meaningful conversations about substance use, gambling & addiction from New York State

New York State Office of Addiction Services and Support (OASAS)

Talk2Prevent Resources from OASAS

https://talk2prevent.ny.gov/

https://www.oasas.ny.gov/prevention/index.cfm

https://oasas.ny.gov/providers/evidence-based-prevention-programs

Educational materials and conversation starters to lead meaningful conversations about substance use, gambling & addiction from New York State

NYS Center for School Health

http://www.schoolhealthny.com/

NYS Center for School Health offers articles, self-paced courses, and resources on nicotine dependence for teachers, students, and parents. For more information, visit www.schoolhealthny.com or call (585) 617-2380.

N-O-T: Not on Tobacco - Proven Teen Smoking and Vaping Cessation Program

https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/helping-teens-quit/not-on-tobacco

American Lung Association. Unlike other cessation programs which simply modify adult curriculum, N-O-T was designed with teenagers in mind and addresses issues that are specifically important to them. The program takes a holistic approach with each session using different interactive learning strategies based on Social Cognitive Theory of behavior change that can then be applied and practiced in everyday life and encourages a voluntary change for youth ages 13 to 19.

code of conduct revision & Alternatives to Suspension

Many districts have moved to using an alternative to suspension program when a student violates the school's code of conduct due to substance use. A student on school property who is caught smoking/vaping for the first time may be referred to the district’s substance program in lieu of traditional suspension programs.

School Mental Health Staff members may be trained in these substance abuse cessation programs to then be delivered, as needed, for students in need. Eastern Suffolk BOCES can provide your staff with training for these cessation programs. Please see the "School Programs & Services" tab for more information.

Please click the buttons below to learn more about using cessation programs in lieu of suspension

Codes of Conduct in New York - Using Alternatives to Suspension

Making the case for alternatives to suspension - Click Here

Programs to use in lieu of suspension:

INDEPTH and N-O-T:

The American Lung Association’s INDEPTH® (Intervention for Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco and Health) program is an alternative to suspension or citation program that is offered as an option to students who face suspension for violation of school tobacco use policies.

Become a vaping and tobacco cessation facilitator for youth in your school or community. N-O-T (Not On Tobacco®) is an evidence-based approach to help youth ages 14-19 quit or reduce their tobacco use, including e-cigarettes.The N-O-T Facilitator Training Course consists of three INDEPTH modules and six N-O-T modules. I

Along with the INDEPTH Facilitator Training, N-O-T is a part of the American Lung Association’s Vape-Free Schools Initiative.

https://lung.training/courses/not-on-tobacco.html

TEEN INTERVENE:

Teen Intervene is a brief, early intervention program for 12- to 19-year-olds who display the early stages of alcohol involvement. Integrating stages of change theory, motivational enhancement, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, the intervention aims to help teens reduce and ultimately eliminate their substance use.

Number of Sessions: 3

Session Length: 1 hour

Population: Ages 12 to 19

Substance Use Outcomes: Alcohol, Cannabis

Language: English, Spanish

https://oasas.ny.gov/event/august-11-12-2026-teen-intervene

Healthy Futures - Nicotine Version:

https://med.stanford.edu/tobaccopreventiontoolkit/healthy-futures-nicotine.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

This program is geared for students who have been found using e-cigarettes (or really any tobacco product) and/or for any students who are interested in trying to quit. This program is packed with a self-paced lesson, a group 2- or 4-hour teacher or counselor-led curriculum, quitting resources, and more!!