According to the Food and Drug Administration, 5 million youth in the United States currently use e-cigarettes: 1 in 4 high school students (27.5%) and 1 in 10 middle school students (10.5%). Vaping increases a person’s chance of experiencing complications from upper respiratory illnesses and some researchers believe there exists a relationship between vaping and COVID-19 patients.
The Be Vape Free initiative is a confluence of like-minded organizations who have joined forces to tackle the use of e-cigarettes among our nation’s youth through the creation and distribution of engaging content for grades 5–12 on the risks of e-cigarettes. In partnership with the CVS Health Foundation, CATCH Global Foundation, and Discovery Education, the Be Vape Free initiative aims to impact elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide to prevent the use of e-cigarettes by our nation’s youth. By leveraging partner resources and working collaboratively, Be Vape Free offers no-cost, standards-aligned resources for educators, self-paced modules for students, and a Parent and Community Tool Kit to keep students informed on the long-term health risks of vaping.
Ultimately, the mission of Be Vape Free is to provide educators and pharmacists with the tools to keep students informed in the classroom, and the evidence-based programs that will lead students to make healthy, smart decisions for life.
The Be Vape Free Clearing the Air Virtual Field Trip offers a real-world virtual learning opportunity to provide young people and their families with the facts and science to make healthier decisions. As part of the virtual field trip, students will hear from other young people and gain powerful insights from their peers sharing firsthand experiences of avoiding the dangers of e-cigarette use. The on-demand field trip will also feature interviews with a marketing expert who can help young people think critically about influences such as advertising and social media. Students will learn effective refusal skills and debunk common vaping myths with first-hand insight from a leading health professional.
The Clearing the Air Virtual Field Trip is accompanied by an educator guide, which introduces students to the topics they will learn about during the experience. The post-field trip activities connect and extend student learning to classroom concepts. The resource connects classroom activities to national learning standards, including NGSS, Common Core State Standards and CDC National Academic Standard for Health Education.
Outline marketing and promotion channels leveraged to reach educators and students with the Be Vape Free VFT include:
The Clearing the Air: A Be Vape Free Virtual Field trip was successful in reaching nearly 300K students within the first four weeks of its premiere and continues to rank among top performing assets on the site. In addition to sharing critical, timely information about vaping to students, the virtual field trip also drove traffic and engagement in Be Vape Free core digital lesson bundles of the CATCH My Breath evidenced-based, standards-aligned curriculum.
As of 5.31.20 Clearing the Air: A Be Vape Free Virtual Field Trip achieved 2,320 registrants from across the USA, representing a total of 34,800 individual students. The VFT engaged 21,747 views and reached a total of 298,479 students since the premier.
