Nicotine prevention and quit resources: top tips for parents and educators

Parents and educators have an important role to play in helping young people make informed choices about tobacco and nicotine use. 

Nicotine products have grown stronger, cheaper, and more discreet, and while youth e-cigarette use has declined in recent years, those who do use nicotine report signs of dependence. As nicotine products continue to grow and evolve, from "smart" vapes to oral nicotine pouches and nicotine analog products, parents and educators can act as a valuable resource for young people as they navigate peer pressure, decisions about substance use, the cycle of addiction, and quitting. 

Here is some preliminary information for parents, educators, and others working with young people. Additional resources are listed below. 

What are the most common nicotine products that young people use today?

E-cigarettes are currently the most commonly used nicotine product among middle and high school students. Although youth vaping prevalence has gone down in recent years, young people who do use these products are showing signs of addiction. According to the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey, among students who currently used e-cigarettes, around 40% reported frequent use (20 of 30 days) and nearly 30% reported daily use. 

Oral nicotine pouches from brands like Zyn are also on the rise, and are now the second most commonly used nicotine product among middle and high school students, following e-cigarettes. The small white pouches are sometimes referred to as a "lip pillow" or "upper decky" because of where they are placed between the lip and gum, often under the upper lip.

How do young people access nicotine products?

In recent years, e-cigarettes have become widely accessible and affordable, with many young people buying them from retail stores, through friends, or on social media. 

According to Truth Initiative research, most (88%) online e-cigarette stores appeared to violate policies designed to prevent underage access, and TikTok accounts promoting “discreet shipping” services conceal e-cigarettes inside cosmetics or beauty products to circumvent age restrictions and parental oversight.

Many of the cheap, flavored, disposable vapes used by young people are not authorized for sale at all, meaning they are on the market illegally. Urgent action is needed to enforce the law and take these products off store shelves to protect the health of young people.

A free digital curriculum to educate young people and prevent addiction

Free resources are available for parents and educators to help prevent youth nicotine use and help those already vaping to quit. 

To educate young people about the dangers of smoking, vaping, oral pouches, and cannabis use, Truth Initiative provides Vaping: Know the truth, a free digital curriculum that guides middle and high school students through real-world scenarios in a peer-to-peer voice. 

As of September 2025, 1.5 million students have engaged with the free digital curriculum, learning the facts they need to make informed decisions around nicotine use. The curriculum is made available to schools for free through EVERFI, a leader in digital education. 

Help young people quit nicotine with EX Program

EX Program by Truth Initiative, a free digital quitting platform, can increase the odds of quitting by up to 40%. The program includes a personalized quitting plan, proven tools, expert resources, and an online support community that is designed to be a safe space for teens and adults to share advice and discuss quitting. 

An evaluation of the program found that enrolled teens were 35% more likely to report not using nicotine after a seven month period. 

EX Program has also been shown to be effective at helping young people reduce cannabis use.

Nicotine use in schools:

• Discipline is not the answer: Better approaches to on-campus student tobacco use
• What educators can do if they catch students vaping in schools
• Educators share how a free vaping prevention curriculum has helped their students
• "It's Everywhere": Educator Perspectives on Nicotine Use in Schools

Nicotine addiction and mental health:

• 3 ways nicotine addiction can impact mental health
• Fact Sheet: Nicotine and the young brain
• Colliding Crises: Youth mental health and nicotine youth
• Many young people turn to nicotine to deal with stress, anxiety and depression, but don’t know it may be making them feel worse

More information about nicotine products:

• What's inside a vape?
• What is Zyn and what are oral nicotine pouches?
• What you need to know about new synthetic nicotine products
• While the cost of living rises, nicotine gets cheaper