New Orleans, La. – (Sept. 1, 2022) To address the rise in e-cigarette use, also known as vaping, among middle and high school students, The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) and Well-Ahead Louisiana have teamed up to create a vape-free schools toolkit for Louisiana schools. 

“Schools can play a key role in helping to keep young people tobacco-free. According to the Louisiana Youth Tobacco Survey, from 2017 to2019, vaping use doubled among middle school students and tripled among high school students. And if schools across the state begin utilizing the vape-free schools toolkit, we’re hopeful that Louisiana will start to see a decline in those numbers,” said Chrishelle Stipe, TFL Cessation Manager.  

The vape-free toolkit provides schools with resources to create proactive policies related to tobacco use, specifically vaping, among students on school grounds. 

This comprehensive toolkit includes:

• A guide to creating a tobacco-free school environment

• Resources to educate school staff about the risks of nicotine use specific to youth, including e-cigarettes 

• Quit resources tailored to teens

“By implementing the best practices shared in our vape-free schools toolkit, school staff can support in protecting our children from the future long-term and potentially cancer or death-causing effects of tobacco use, ”said Taylor Reine, Youth Prevention Manager at Well-Ahead Louisiana.  

The Vape-Free Schools Toolkit can be found at www.wellaheadla.com/vape-free-schools/ 

Students that are currently trying to quit vaping are encouraged to text VAPEFREE to 873373.  

TFL is a program of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center and Louisiana Public Health Institute.

###

About Well-Ahead Louisiana

Well-Ahead Louisiana is the chronic disease prevention and healthcare access arm of the state Department of Health. Well-Ahead connects communities to tools and resources that help improve the health of Louisiana’s residents where they live, work, learn and play. For more information, visit www.wellaheadla.com.   

About the Louisiana Department of Health 

The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state residents. The Louisiana Department of Health includes the Office of Public Health, Office of Aging & Adult Services, Office of Behavioral Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, and Healthy Louisiana (Medicaid).  To learn more, visit www.ldh.la.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our blog.

About The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living

The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) engage sin local and statewide tobacco control policy efforts that focus on tobacco prevention and initiation among youth, eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, promote cessation services, and identify and eliminate tobacco-related disparities. TFL is guided by best practices in tobacco control and envisions a healthier Louisiana by reducing the excessive burden of tobacco use on all Louisianans. For more information visit www.tobaccofreeliving.org.To find out more about the dangers of secondhand smoke and show your support for a smoke-free Louisiana, visit www.healthierairforall.org.To learn more about quitting tobacco, visit www.quitwithusla.org. 

About the Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC)

Each year, more than 25,000 Louisianans receive a cancer diagnosis. The Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC) serves as a collaborative hub that advances cancer research, improves prevention, and accelerates innovative treatments. LCRC brings together the collective talent of more than 200 researchers from four institutions – Tulane School of Medicine, LSU Health New Orleans, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Ochsner Health – to improve cancer outcomes for Louisianans and all those touched by the disease. Visit https://www.louisianacancercenter.org.

About the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI)

LPHI, founded in 1997, is a statewide community-focused501(c)(3) nonprofit and public health institute committed to ensuring all Louisianans have just and fair opportunities to be healthy and well. Our work focuses on areas that touch public health, including tobacco prevention and control, building healthier communities, assessing needs of communities, supporting the whole health needs of individuals and families from early childhood to older adults, COVID-19, and more. We create authentic partnerships with both communities and partners to align action for health. For more information, visit www.lphi.org.

‍