Our Initiative
Karen Bergbower & Associates (KBA) received funding from the Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan to provide the following evidence based prevention strategies across the region to impact youth vaping.
Educational Presentations CATCH® My Breath (catchmybreath.org) Policy Change
Youth Engagement Vaping is Nicotine Media Campaign Training
Strategic Planning Technical Assistance Resources
These strategies will address the identified contributing factors of easy access, norms that support use, perceived peer pressure, and low perception of harm.
Vaping Awareness Prevention Education (VAPE)
Our VAPE class is a two-hour educational program that targets youth under age 18 who are using vaping products. The program helps youth and parents/guardians understand the reality and potential consequences associated with vaping while presenting tips and tools for quitting nicotine use.
The program is held at our office on scheduled Saturdays from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. A parent/guardian is required to attend with the youth. The fee is $35 and includes both the youth and parent/guardian. Payment is due on the day of class. If paying by cash please bring exact amount; we will not have the ability to make change.
Youth Vaping Epidemic
On December 18, 2018, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an advisory declaring e-cigarette use among youth an epidemic. This advisory was a call to action. He called on parents and teachers to educate themselves about e-cigarettes and to talk with children about their dangers. He also called on local authorities to use strategies, such as bans on indoor vaping and retail restrictions, to discourage vaping by young people.
National data shows that in 2018, 1 in 5 high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the past month. Further, more high school students use e-cigarettes than regular cigarettes, and the use of e-cigarettes is higher among high school students than adults. Local MiPHY data (see table below) shows that rates of youth e-cigarette use continue to climb and that in all counties, except Washtenaw, rates of use exceed national data.
Although marketed to assist users in quitting smoking, research shows that youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to progress to cigarette use.
Percentage of High School Students Who Used an Electronic Vapor Product during the Last 30 Days (MiPHY):
Lenawee County: 27.6%
Livingston County: 28.0%
Monroe County: 26.5%
Washtenaw County: 18.3%
Karen Bergbower & Associates (KBA) received funding from the Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan to provide the following evidence based prevention strategies across the region to impact youth vaping.
Educational Presentations CATCH® My Breath (catchmybreath.org) Policy Change
Youth Engagement Vaping is Nicotine Media Campaign Training
Strategic Planning Technical Assistance Resources
These strategies will address the identified contributing factors of easy access, norms that support use, perceived peer pressure, and low perception of harm.
Vaping Awareness Prevention Education (VAPE)
Our VAPE class is a two-hour educational program that targets youth under age 18 who are using vaping products. The program helps youth and parents/guardians understand the reality and potential consequences associated with vaping while presenting tips and tools for quitting nicotine use.
The program is held at our office on scheduled Saturdays from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. A parent/guardian is required to attend with the youth. The fee is $35 and includes both the youth and parent/guardian. Payment is due on the day of class. If paying by cash please bring exact amount; we will not have the ability to make change.
Youth Vaping Epidemic
On December 18, 2018, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an advisory declaring e-cigarette use among youth an epidemic. This advisory was a call to action. He called on parents and teachers to educate themselves about e-cigarettes and to talk with children about their dangers. He also called on local authorities to use strategies, such as bans on indoor vaping and retail restrictions, to discourage vaping by young people.
National data shows that in 2018, 1 in 5 high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the past month. Further, more high school students use e-cigarettes than regular cigarettes, and the use of e-cigarettes is higher among high school students than adults. Local MiPHY data (see table below) shows that rates of youth e-cigarette use continue to climb and that in all counties, except Washtenaw, rates of use exceed national data.
Although marketed to assist users in quitting smoking, research shows that youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to progress to cigarette use.
Percentage of High School Students Who Used an Electronic Vapor Product during the Last 30 Days (MiPHY):
Lenawee County: 27.6%
Livingston County: 28.0%
Monroe County: 26.5%
Washtenaw County: 18.3%
Tobacco Retailer Education
Any retail location which sells tobacco products can receive retailer education from a Designated Youth Tobacco Utilization Representative. The training involves information about the Youth Tobacco Act which is the law defining retailer responsibility. Sign requirements are also part of the education. Retail stores that sell tobacco must post the state required sign.
Checking identification & knowing the acceptable IDs is the retail clerk’s responsibility. The Food & Drug Administration requires a clerk to always ask anyone who is under 27 years old for ID. They must also know their employee’s policies. Clerks should: always hold the ID in their hand, make sure that it is not expired, check the picture to make sure that it is the same person as the ID, & check for alterations to the ID. The consequences of selling to minors can include $50.00 fine to the store clerk. The retailer may face penalties from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission & Lottery Commission. If the retailer is ever in doubt, they may refuse the sale!
For more information on your responsibilities as a tobacco retailer or to access state signs and/or resources, please click here.
Tobacco Compliance Checks
Inspections of tobacco retailers using youth decoys are used to determine compliance with the Youth Tobacco Act. The success of the inspections is directly tied to treatment & prevention funding for the state. If you have any questions involving a compliance check that was conducted at your business, please contact us.
Educational Presentations
Interactive classroom presentations geared to middle & high school classes are offered. Please call 810.225.9550 for more information or to schedule a presentation. Presentations can cover "traditional" tobacco products, e-cigarettes, or a combination of the two.
Meet our DYTUR Coordinators
Sandra Parker- LLMSW, CPS, DYTUR Representative
Sandra Parker is a Prevention Specialist for Karen Bergbower & Associates. She graduated with her Masters in Social Work from Michigan State University in 2013. She has an extensive background working in substance use disorders, including prevention and recovery education. Working with youth, adolescents and students, has always been her passion. As a Prevention Specialist, Sandra provides a variety of resources, including leading educational support groups and curriculum-based support groups,. As the Youth-Led Prevention Coordinator, she has the pleasure of facilitating and working alongside our youth on activities and events throughout the community. Considering vaping is the ‘hot topic’ in prevention right now, Sandra is excited about collaborating within the community and surrounding region on the Regional Vaping Prevention Initiative.
Early in 2018, Sandra Parker partnered with Livingston County Catholic Charities to collaborate on an anti-vaping grant offered by the Tobacco Section of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The goals of the grant included, advocating for anti-vaping ordinances, encouraging schools to adopt “vape-free” campuses, and providing education on the dangers of youth vaping. A resource manual was developed and distributed to schools and community partners to educate youth and their parents on the dangers of vaping. Youth actively participated in the creation of a media campaign. The media campaign, Vaping is Nicotine, included billboards, posters, and community presentations. In 2021, the team began partnering with the Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan to continue their important work, bringing awareness to the vaping epidemic.
Christopher Curvin- DYTUR Representative
Bio coming soon...
Bio coming soon...
