Empowering Youth to Make Vape-Free Choices
Catch My Breath is an evidence-based youth vaping prevention program designed to educate students about the health risks associated with e-cigarettes and vaping while empowering them to make informed, healthy decisions. As youth vaping continues to be a significant public health concern, the program provides students with accurate, age-appropriate information that helps them understand the risks of nicotine addiction and develop the skills needed to resist social pressures.
Maumee Valley Guidance Center partners with local schools to deliver Catch My Breath to upper elementary, middle school, and high school students throughout our service area. Through engaging lessons and interactive discussions, students learn how vaping affects both physical and mental health while building the confidence to make positive choices.
Why Catch My Breath?
Many young people believe vaping is safer than smoking traditional cigarettes. In reality, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can interfere with healthy brain development during adolescence. Vaping may also expose users to harmful chemicals that can affect lung health, increase the risk of addiction, and negatively impact overall well-being.
Catch My Breath helps students separate facts from myths by providing science-based education in a way that is relevant, engaging, and easy to understand.
What Students Learn
The curriculum focuses on helping students:
- Understand what vaping and e-cigarettes are.
- Learn the health effects of nicotine and vaping.
- Recognize how nicotine addiction develops.
- Identify marketing tactics used by the vaping industry.
- Understand the impact of vaping on brain development and physical health.
- Build decision-making and refusal skills.
- Resist peer pressure and social influences.
- Develop healthy coping strategies for stress and emotions.
- Promote positive lifestyle choices that support long-term wellness.
Students are encouraged to think critically about the information they encounter and develop the confidence to make informed decisions for themselves.
An Interactive Learning Experience
Catch My Breath uses engaging, student-centered teaching methods that encourage participation and meaningful discussion. Lessons may include:
- Interactive classroom presentations
- Videos and multimedia learning
- Small group discussions
- Real-life scenarios
- Critical thinking activities
- Peer-to-peer conversations
- Skill-building exercises
The curriculum is designed to keep students engaged while reinforcing practical strategies they can apply in everyday situations.
Benefits of the Program
Students who participate in Catch My Breath gain:
- Increased knowledge about the risks of vaping.
- Greater awareness of nicotine addiction.
- Improved critical thinking and decision-making skills.
- Stronger confidence in resisting peer pressure.
- Healthier coping strategies for managing stress.
- Increased awareness of how advertising and social media influence behavior.
- Skills that promote lifelong healthy choices.
The program also supports schools in creating healthier learning environments by promoting prevention, education, and informed decision-making.
Evidence-Based Prevention
Catch My Breath is one of the nation’s leading evidence-based vaping prevention programs. Research has shown that students who participate demonstrate increased knowledge about vaping risks, improved attitudes toward remaining vape-free, and a reduced likelihood of initiating e-cigarette use.
By focusing on prevention before nicotine use begins, the program helps students make healthier decisions that can positively impact their future.
Supporting Healthy, Vape-Free Communities
At Maumee Valley Guidance Center, we believe prevention starts with education. Catch My Breath provides students with the knowledge and life skills they need to resist vaping, make healthy choices, and protect their physical and mental well-being.
Our prevention specialists work alongside educators to deliver engaging, age-appropriate instruction that encourages healthy decision-making and fosters positive school environments.
Bring Catch My Breath to Your School
If your school or organization is interested in offering Catch My Breath or learning more about our prevention and educational programs, contact Maumee Valley Guidance Center. Together, we can help educate the next generation about the risks of vaping and empower young people to choose a healthier, tobacco-free future.