Clouded Judgement: Responding to the Risks of Youth Vaping
Clouded Judgement brought together prevention professionals, educators, behavioral health practitioners, researchers, healthcare providers, law enforcement, and community stakeholders to examine the rapidly evolving landscape of youth vaping and adolescent substance use.
Hosted by Challenge of Tarrant County, the DEA Dallas Field Division, and the STARR Lab at the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work, the multidisciplinary symposium provided a space for professionals and community partners to explore emerging trends, prevention science, policy considerations, and practical strategies for addressing youth vaping and substance use.
Throughout the symposium, presenters and participants examined current research related to adolescent e-cigarette and cannabis use, co-use patterns, youth risk factors, and evidence-informed approaches to prevention and early intervention. Sessions focused on translating research into practical strategies that could be applied in schools, families, healthcare settings, and community-based prevention programs.
*Photo credits: UTA School of Social Work and STARR Lab
Community in Action!
From Learning to Action
The symposium emphasized the importance of moving beyond awareness toward meaningful, community-level action. Participants explored ways to recognize warning signs, engage young people in effective prevention conversations, strengthen protective factors, and build coordinated responses across schools, families, healthcare systems, prevention organizations, and community partners.
Two interactive experiences further reinforced these concepts. The VAPE Takeback initiative, facilitated by the DEA Dallas Field Division in collaboration with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department, highlighted the importance of safe disposal and community awareness surrounding vaping products.
The “Hidden in Plain Sight” interactive exhibition provided a hands-on opportunity to examine commonly used vape devices, concealment methods, and other indicators of adolescent substance use that can easily go unnoticed.
Additionally, UNT Health Fort Worth and STARR Lab and the UTA School of Social Work provided displays and resources to provide further support to attendees.
Symposium Resources
This website serves as a resource hub for Clouded Judgement, preserving the information, presentations, and tools shared throughout the symposium. Visitors can explore presentation materials, educational resources, research-informed information, and other materials designed to support continued learning and prevention efforts.
These resources are intended to extend the conversation beyond the symposium itself—giving educators, prevention professionals, healthcare providers, behavioral health practitioners, parents, community organizations, and other stakeholders practical information they can use in their own work.
The conversation continues here. Explore the resources, share what you learn, and continue building stronger, more informed approaches to preventing youth vaping and adolescent substance use.
Presentations
Clearing the Cloud: The Health Consequences of Youth Vaping
Clearing the Cloud: The Health Consequences of Youth Vaping
Clearing the Cloud: The Health Consequences of Youth Vaping
Vape Waste Management
Clearing the Cloud: The Health Consequences of Youth Vaping
Clearing the Cloud: The Health Consequences of Youth Vaping
CATCH My Breath
Clearing the Cloud: The Health Consequences of Youth Vaping
CATCH My Breath
Resources from the DEA
Vaping: Protect the People You Care About
Vaping and Marijuana Fact Sheet
CATCH My Breath Program
CATCH My Breath is an evidence-based, school-based youth vaping prevention program designed for students in grades 5–12. Developed by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, the program uses interactive, age-appropriate lessons to help young people understand the risks associated with e-cigarettes and nicotine while building the skills and confidence needed to make healthy decisions.
A central feature of CATCH My Breath is its peer-led approach. Rather than relying solely on adults to deliver prevention messages, the program incorporates peer discussion and cooperative learning to address social influences, correct misconceptions about vaping, and strengthen students' ability to resist peer and advertising pressure. The curriculum is grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and focuses on knowledge, social norms, decision-making, communication, and refusal skills.
The core curriculum consists of four lessons of approximately 30–40 minutes each, with versions tailored to different grade levels. Lessons address topics such as the health and social consequences of vaping, nicotine addiction, misconceptions about e-cigarettes, advertising influences, laws and policies, and strategies for making healthy choices. Supplemental activities can also extend learning through physical education, STEM, humanities, and parent/caregiver engagement.
What Makes It Effective?
Research has found that CATCH My Breath can reduce the likelihood that young people will begin using e-cigarettes. In the original Texas evaluation, students who participated in the program were about half as likely to experiment with e-cigarettes over the following 16 months compared with students in schools that did not receive the intervention.
More recent implementation research involving more than 6,200 students across 25 middle and high schools found improvements in vaping knowledge and beliefs, while approximately 84% of participating students reported being less likely to use e-cigarettes after completing the program.
CATCH My Breath is also included in SAMHSA's Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series as a school-level youth vaping prevention intervention. The program is currently available at no cost to U.S. schools, including English and Spanish versions of the core grades 5–12 curriculum.
A Prevention Approach Built for Young People
Ultimately, CATCH My Breath goes beyond simply telling students that vaping is harmful. It works to change perceptions, strengthen social and decision-making skills, correct misinformation, and empower young people to make informed choices. Its combination of evidence-based education, peer engagement, interactive activities, and school/community support makes it a useful component of a comprehensive youth tobacco and vaping prevention strategy.
UTA School of Social Work and STARR Lab Resources
Project PRISM
STARR Lab
