Reducing Vaping Among Youth and Young Adults E305

Course Summary

Practice Level: Intermediate

Vaping among youth has emerged as a significant public health concern. E-cigarette use has increased rapidly over the past decade and remains more prevalent among adolescents than traditional cigarette use. Youth vaping is associated with a range of health and safety risks. Vaping products may contain potentially harmful substances, and nicotine exposure during adolescence can negatively affect brain development, including attention, learning, and memory, and can lead to addiction. In addition, vaping may contribute to respiratory and other physical health concerns. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has prepared the guide, Reducing Vaping Among Youth and Young Adults, to provide mental health clinicians, including social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists, with the resources needed to reduce and prevent vaping among youth and young adults. The learning material begins with a description of the prevalence of vaping in youth, as well as the related health effects and safety concerns. It reviews the challenges to the prevention of youth vaping and examines evidence-based intervention strategies targeted at individuals, schools, and communities, detailing several successful programs and their outcomes at each of these levels. Key considerations for implementing programs and policies to reduce vaping are discussed. The learning material concludes with an overview of several types of evaluation processes and associated outcome measures needed to determine the efficacy of interventions aimed at reducing and preventing this disturbing trend. Clinicians can use this information to inform efforts to reduce vaping among youth and young adults and to support the selection, implementation, and evaluation of prevention strategies. 

Course Format

This course contains downloadable online lessons (PDF) and a practice test.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the prevalence and health effects of vaping among youth. 
2. Explain key challenges to the prevention of youth vaping. 
3. Recognize evidence-based programs and their outcomes at different levels of interventions. 
4. Identify key considerations for implementing programs and policies to reduce vaping. 
5. Differentiate amongst the types of evaluation processes and associated outcomes measures. 

Course Syllabus

• Chapter 1: Issue Brief
• Chapter 2: What Research Tells Us
• Chapter 3: Guidance for Selecting and Implementing Programs and Policies
• Chapter 4: Examples of Effective Programs and Policies
• Chapter 5: Resources for Evaluation and Quality Improvement

Authors

SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA leads public health efforts that advance the behavioral health of the nation and its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on communities in America.

William A. Cook

William A. Cook, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist who worked for 15 years in private practice in Montana before leaving his practice to work full time as the Director of CE4Less. He earned his doctorate degree from Texas A&M University, and focused much of his psychology practice in the area of child and family counseling, as well as psychological testing.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.