Vaping Risks Worksheet

A. Identify Health Risks

List three health risks associated with vaping:

1. _______________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. _______________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. _______________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   

B. Myth or Fact

For each statement below, circle Myth or Fact. If it’s a Myth, explain the truth in one sentence.

1. “E-cigarettes produce only harmless water vapor.”
   Myth / Fact
   Explanation: ___________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. “Vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes.”
   Myth / Fact
   Explanation: ___________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. “Flavored pods are just candy flavors.”
   Myth / Fact
   Explanation: ___________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. “You can’t get addicted to nicotine from vaping.”
   Myth / Fact
   Explanation: ___________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   

C. Urban Reflection

Vaping often happens in city spaces—bus stops, bodegas, street corners. Describe how vaping or vape ads in these settings could affect you in the short term and long term. Explain below:

D. Refusal Strategy in the City

Imagine a friend offers you a vape while you’re waiting at a bus stop or hanging out in a bodega. Write exactly what you would say to refuse. Be assertive and clear:

E. Action Plan for Urban Triggers

List two strategies you will use to resist peer pressure or support a friend in avoiding vaping when you’re in busy city spots (e.g., on the subway, at a corner store):

1. _______________________________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. _______________________________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   

Vaping Risks Discussion (Culturally Responsive)

Purpose

This discussion invites students of color to explore how vaping is marketed to their communities, reflect on cultural and social influences, and design refusal strategies that honor their identities and values. It builds on insights from the Vape vs Reality Slide Deck and sets the stage for the Vaping Risks Worksheet.

Guidelines

• Create a safe, respectful space—listen actively and without judgment.
• Keep contributions brief (30–60 seconds) and speak from your own experience.
• Honor cultural perspectives and use community language where it fits.

1. Cultural Targeting in Our Neighborhoods

Prompt: In which local spots (barber shops, beauty salons, bodegas, festivals) have you seen vaping ads or products displayed?
Follow-Up:
• How do these ads use cultural symbols, flavors (menthol, tropical fruit), or music to appeal to our community?
• Why might vape companies choose these specific venues or cultural events?

2. Community & Social Influences

Prompt: Describe a time when family members, community influencers, or local social media encouraged or discouraged vaping.
Follow-Up:
• What messages did you hear from elders, peers, or influencers in your cultural network?
• How did cultural values (respect, tradition, community well-being) shape those messages?

3. Cultural Myths vs. Realities

Prompt: Share one myth about vaping you’ve encountered in your cultural circles (e.g., “Menthol makes vaping smoother and safer”).
Follow-Up:
• What fact from the Slide Deck disproves that myth?
• How might that myth influence someone’s decision to vape in your community?

4. Identity-Affirming Refusal Strategies

Prompt: What refusal response feels authentic to your cultural identity when someone offers you a vape at a gathering (block party, family BBQ, church event)?
Follow-Up:
• What language or values (e.g., “protecting our health and future”) can you invoke to say “No” firmly and respectfully?
• How can you offer a culturally relevant alternative (e.g., sharing a favorite snack, playing a traditional game)?

5. Community Action & Support

Prompt: Based on today’s discussion, what is one concrete step you can take this week to help your cultural community resist vaping?
Follow-Up:
• Who in your community (friend group, family member, local leader) can you engage as an ally or accountability partner?
• How will you use community spaces (social media, local events) to share what you’ve learned?

Next Steps

After this discussion, complete the Vaping Risks Worksheet to:

1. Document three health risks
2. Correct myths in your own words
3. Write a culturally grounded refusal script and action plan

Thank you for sharing your insights—together we strengthen our communities and protect our future!

Myth or Fact Relay

Time: 5 minutes
Group Size: Teams of 3–4 students
Materials:

• Pre-written myth and fact statement cards (1 set per team)
• Chart paper or whiteboard with two columns labeled “Myth” and “Fact”
• Markers
• Timer or stopwatch

Setup

1. On index cards or slips of paper, print an equal number of common vaping myths and true facts (8–10 cards per team).
2. Place each team’s deck face-down at their table.
3. Post two large sheets of chart paper at the front or sides of the room titled “Myth” and “Fact.”

Instructions

1. Divide students into teams and have them line up behind their deck of cards.
2. On “Go!”, the first student takes the top card, reads it aloud, and runs to place it under the column they believe is correct (“Myth” or “Fact”).
3. They return, tag the next teammate, and that student repeats the process.
4. Continue until all cards are sorted.
5. Once finished, teams gather around their chart and quickly check placements, discussing any cards they were unsure about.

Debrief Questions

• Which myth surprised you the most? Why?
• How do the facts you learned change your perception of vaping?
• Why is it important to recognize and correct these myths?

Extension (if time allows): Have each team pick one myth-fact pair and explain the science behind why it’s a myth or why the fact is true.

Vaping Poll Warm-Up

Time: 3 minutes
Purpose: Quickly engage students and gauge their familiarity with vaping.

Instructions

1. Ask students to raise their hand if they have ever tried vaping.
2. Next, ask them to raise their hand if they know someone (friend, family member) who vapes.
3. As students raise their hands, tally the numbers on the whiteboard or chart paper under two columns: “Tried Vaping” and “Know Someone Who Vapes.”
4. Follow-Up Questions (brief):
   • What reasons have you heard for why teens vape?
   • How do you feel when you see peers vaping?
5. Conclude by introducing the lesson objective: understanding the real health risks of vaping, debunking myths, and learning strategies to resist peer pressure.

Vape Truth Quest

Time: 5 minutes
Group Size: Teams of 2–3 students
Materials:

• One buzzer per team or two response cards per team labeled “Myth” and “Fact”
• Pre-written statement cards (8–10 myth/fact prompts)
• Whiteboard or chart paper for scoreboard

Setup

1. Divide the class into teams of 2–3 students.
2. Give each team a buzzer or a set of two response cards (“Myth” and “Fact”).
3. Prepare a stack of statement cards—each card has a vaping statement (e.g., “E-cigarettes produce only harmless water vapor”).
4. Draw a scoreboard on the board and list team names.

How to Play

1. The teacher (or a student host) reads a statement aloud.
2. Teams race to buzz in or raise the correct card (“Myth” or “Fact”).
3. The first team to respond gets the chance to explain their answer in one sentence.
   • If they’re correct: award 1 point.
   • If they’re incorrect: deduct 1 point and give other teams a chance to steal (first to buzz or raise).
4. Record the points on the scoreboard.
5. Continue until all statement cards are used or time is up.

Sample Statements

• “Vaping liquids contain heavy metals like lead and nickel.”
• “Nicotine in e-cigarettes cannot cause addiction.”
• “‘Popcorn lung’ is linked to a chemical found in some flavored pods.”
• “Vaping only produces harmless water vapor.”
• “Teen brains are more vulnerable to nicotine’s effects.”

Debrief Questions

• Which statement surprised you the most? Why?
• How did explaining your choice help you remember the fact?
• What strategies did your team use to decide quickly?

Extension: Have teams create one new myth/fact statement based on the Vape vs Reality Slide Deck and challenge another team to answer it.