TUPE - Key Issues

Vaping 101

Since their widespread commercial release in 2009, the use of electronic cigarettes, or “vapes,” has steadily increased. The growing popularity of these products among youth is a major concern and the primary focus of many prevention programs. To learn more about the components of an e-cigarette or vape, visit the American Lung Association website, “What’s in an E-Cigarette?”and check out the resources found below.

Vaping Resources

CDE - Electronic Cigarette and Vaping Devices Factsheet

Electronic Cigarettes and Vaping Devices: Nicotine Addiction Repackaged. This factsheet is designed to take a closer look at e-cigarettes, their health impacts on students, and current trends of e-cigarette use among American youth.

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CDE - School E-Cigarette Toolkit

School E-Cigarette Toolkit: Addressing Student Use of E-Cigarettes. This toolkit is designed to guide district and school administrators in addressing the alarming increase in use of e-cigarettes among students.

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What you need to know about synthetic nicotine products

Learn more about synthetic nicotine, their development, and the concerns related to these products.

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CDC - E-Cigarettes and Youth - What Educators and Coaches Need to Know

Learn about vape devices, impacts on adolescent health, and prevention strategies for educators.

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Nicotine Addiction

According to the National Institute of Health, nicotine is especially harmful to youth because their brain is still developing and this makes it easier for them to become hooked. It can cause other long-lasting consequences in the brain, including making it more difficult to concentrate, learn, or control impulses.

Image from: Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit

According to Stanford University, vape manufacturers have also developed nicotine salts, which may be more concentrated and less harsh on the throat. This is of particular concern because it allows for nicotine to be used more easily, which increases the likelihood of trying an e-cigarette and becoming dependent. The milligrams of nicotine found in a pod is more than double the amount of nicotine in a pack of cigarettes.

Nicotine Resources

Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit

Tobacco and vaping prevention curricula and ready-to-share resources, such as the "Cigs in a Pod" image found above.

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Smokefree Teen - Nicotine & Addiction

Explore topics such as nicotine addiction among youth, risks, and tips for quitting tobacco and vape use.

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The Triangulum

The Triangulum refers to the intersection of tobacco, marijuana, and e-cigarettes, the latter being a delivery device for both, in addition to other substances. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), cannabis can adversely affect the health of youth.

Like cigarettes, smoking cannabis is harmful to your lungs.
Edibles may have higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). If you eat too much, too fast, you are at higher risk for poisoning.
Using cannabis regularly during teenage years and early 20s may lead to physical changes in the brain.

TUPE Funded Programs

TUPE funds can be used to address the Triangulum in the following ways:

Educate students, staff, families, and communities on the Triangulum
Survey administration and collect data on co-use and vaping
Form interagency partnerships and engage with existing coalitions
Create youth development opportunities and learning service projects that focus on refusal skills and making healthy choices

Triangulum Resources

CDE Webinar Series - The Triangulum: Tobacco-Vaping-Marijuana

Webinar #1: TEROC Guidance grounds the audience on the definition of the triangulum, its implications, and provides guidance on utilizing TUPE funds to protect youth.

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CDE Webinar Series - The Triangulum: Tobacco-Vaping-Marijuana

Webinar #2: Education and Youth Development provides the audience with information on strategies that can be used to keep youth from becoming hooked by the triangulum.

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CDE Webinar Series - The Triangulum: Tobacco-Vaping-Marijuana

Webinar #3: Interagency Partnerships and Family Engagement, provides the audience with strategies to engage families in conversations about the Triangulum.

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CDE - Triangulum Factsheet

The Triangulum: Tobacco-Marijuana-Vaping - Protecting Youth with TUPE Funds. This fact sheet defines the triangulum and explains how to use TUPE funds to prevent the vaping and co-use of marijuana and tobacco.

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Stanford - Cannabis Awareness & Prevention Toolkit

A set of cannabis prevention lessons and resources that can be adapted to fit the individual needs of educators and students in various settings, including elementary, middle, and high schools.

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Safe Disposal of Vape Waste

What should schools do with confiscated vape waste?

Vaping devices and nicotine solutions are hazardous to both humans and the environment, and must be handled, stored, and disposed of properly.

Toxic nicotine solutions can seep into the ground, contaminating our environment.
Lithium-ion batteries found in these devices can cause fires in garbage trucks and landfills; they require proper recycling.
This managing a mix of hazardous wastes (battery/electronic and nicotine/chemical) makes disposal especially challenging.

Although districts and schools cannot use TUPE funds to cover disposal costs, they can equip staff with education on safely handling vape waste and provide guidance on its proper disposal. For recommendations and more information about managing vape waste, download the resources linked below.