Commercial Tobacco Prevention and Treatment Program: Youth Programs
Helping young people live tobacco and nicotine-free
Nearly all commercial tobacco use begins during a person’s teens and young adulthood. Tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive drug that causes many young people to progress from smoking or vaping occasionally to smoking or vaping every day.
Prevention is critical. If young people don’t start using commercial tobacco or nicotine by age 26, they will almost certainly never start.
Tobacco companies market to youth with their dangerous and addictive products
Commercial tobacco companies manipulate the amount of nicotine their products to get young people addicted.
Vapes include very high levels of nicotine, a highly addictive chemical, at levels equal to, or higher than, a pack of conventional cigarettes.
Since 2021, the number of young people using oral nicotine pouches has doubled.
Oral nicotine pouches are sold in different nicotine levels and in many different flavors; 85.6% of young people who use nicotine pouches use flavored products. They are marketed as smoke-free and discreet, making them attractive to use in places where other tobacco products cannot be used. These products are addictive and are not authorized to help people quit using tobacco products. Specific products are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support quitting in combination with counseling.
Nicotine has an especially negative effect on teens’ mental health.
Levels of Wisconsin youth e-cigarette use
Youth and young adults in Wisconsin are heavily marketed to by commercial tobacco companies, with $859.4 million spent on advertising and promotion of e-cigarettes in the U.S. alone (Federal Trade Commission (FTC) E-Cigarette Report for 2021).
This massive predatory marketing effort has resulted in increased youth e-cigarette use over the last decade. In 2023, 15.7% of Wisconsin high school students used e-cigarettes, or 1 out of 6 teens.
Through the Commercial Tobacco Prevention and Treatment Program (CTPTP) and its funded partners, Wisconsin is working hard to undo this uptick in youth nicotine addiction. Past efforts have reduced high school cigarette smoking rates from 33% in 2001 to 5% in 2021, and middle school cigarette smoking rates from 12% in 2000 to 1.4% in 2018 (Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey; Wisconsin Youth Tobacco Survey).
Policies that work
Wisconsin has a vibrant commercial tobacco prevention and control movement. Local coalitions throughout the state engage with people of all ages and backgrounds to limit the dangerous effects of tobacco and nicotine use on individuals, families, and entire communities. Everyone in Wisconsin can play a role in helping keep young people tobacco- and nicotine-free. Connect with your local coalition to get involved.
Programs for teens and young adults
Preventing underage tobacco and vape sales
Wisconsin Wins is a statewide program established in 2002 to help reduce tobacco sales to Wisconsin minors. Underage sales went from 33.7% in 2001 to 5.5% in 2019. However, retailer inspections were halted during the pandemic, and the federal tobacco legal sales age was raised from 18 to 21 in late 2019. As a result, underage tobacco and vape sales rose sharply and as of 2023 they are 13.6%. The Wisconsin Wins program is back in full operation. It uses an effective mix of retailer outreach and oversight to keep teens and young adults away from commercial tobacco and vape products by:
- Partnering with local law enforcement to conduct unannounced inspections at tobacco retail outlets to track Wisconsin retailer compliance with the federal tobacco 21 sales law. Visit WI Wins to see the local youth access rate in your county.
- Providing WITobaccoCheck.org, a free training and educational resource that helps retailers understand how to comply with the law. Training resources are available at WITobaccoCheck.org.
- Engaging in community outreach and education to communicate the importance of preventing underage tobacco sales. Learn more about the federal tobacco 21 law at Tobacco 21.
For more information, contact Nancy Michaud, Youth Access Program Coordinator, Wisconsin Commercial Tobacco Prevention and Treatment Program, at Nancy.Michaud@dhs.wisconsin.gov or call 608-266-0181.
Youth Advocacy
FACT, Wisconsin’s youth tobacco prevention movement, empowers more than 1,000 young people in grades 7-12 in about 20 groups throughout the state to spread the truth about tobacco and nicotine. FACT members lead advocacy initiatives including peer-to-peer education, media outreach, and meeting with state and local leaders. It is a great opportunity for young people interested in civic engagement, pre-law, health careers, and/or those who have a specific experience with tobacco and nicotine that inspires change. Members' efforts have helped reduce youth tobacco and vape use and have played an integral part in changing community and statewide policy. The movement is managed by the American Lung Association and is designed to reduce the burden of tobacco and nicotine among young people in Wisconsin.
For more information, visit FACT or contact Zoe Hurdle, Health Promotions Specialist for the American Lung Association, at Zoe.Hurdle@lung.org or call 262-703-4833.
Tobacco and nicotine prevention, intervention and cessation in schools
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) provides training and support to schools that seek to implement CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines for school health programs to help prevent tobacco and vape use and addiction. Schools can also get assistance to craft tobacco-and nicotine-free school policies.
For assistance with these policy and programmatic issues, contact Meg Whaley, Physical Education and Health Education Consultant at the Wisconsin DPI, at Meg.Whaley@dpi.wi.gov or call 608-267-4597.
Not On Tobacco® (N-O-T)
Started in 1998, N-O-T is an evidence-based program designed for teens aged 14-19 who wish to quit their nicotine addiction. The program, a 10-session curriculum led by trained adult facilitators, takes a holistic approach and covers the entire quitting process, including the prevention of relapses. Young people who want to access N-O-T online can visit notforme.org, the ALA recently developed NOT for Me, a voluntary, self-paced online cessation program.
For more information about this program, contact Kim Larson, Health Promotions Manager for the American Lung Association in Wisconsin, at Kim.Larson@lung.org or call 262-395-1276.
INDEPTH
INDEPTH, or Intervention for Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco and Health, is an alternative to suspension or citation program for young people. INDEPTH is taught by a trained adult in four 50-minute sessions. Each session addresses a different tobacco- or vape-related issue and can be facilitated either one-on-one or in a group setting. The goal is to educate students about nicotine dependence and cravings and ultimately guide them through the process of identifying their own reasons for chewing, smoking or vaping tobacco products.
For more information about this program, contact Kim Larson, Health Promotions Manager for the American Lung Association in Wisconsin, at Kim.Larson@lung.org or call 262-395-1276.
Tobacco-free college campus efforts
Visit Spark, a Wisconsin-wide program that helps college campuses pass tobacco- and nicotine-free policies and educate campus communities that tobacco abuse, in any form, can be deadly. SPARK offers students, faculty, and staff a platform and an opportunity to be an advocate for policies that ignite change on their campus.
For more information about Spark, contact Kaylee Wagner, Health Promotions Coordinator for the American Lung Association in Wisconsin, at Kaylee.Wagner@lung.org or call 262-923-2743.
Up-to-date information for parents and young adults
The next generation of tobacco and nicotine products doesn’t look anything like a pack of cigarettes. Tobacco is Changing is a reliable source of information about today’s ever changing array of addictive tobacco and nicotine products that are marketed to children and teens. The information helps parents and other trusted adults have informed discussions with young people about these dangerous products and predatory marketing tactics. Tobacco is Changing was first created in Wisconsin in 2018 and has been since been adopted by many other states across the U.S.
Get free help to quit commercial tobacco and nicotine
Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line
Customized plans and coaching
Ages 13+
800-Quit-Now
Text "READY" to 34191
WI Tobacco Quit Line website
Live Vape Free
Text support to quit e-cigarettes
Ages 13-26
Text "VAPEFREE" to 873373
Live Vape Free website
American Indian Quit Line
Culturally tailored coaching
Ages 18+
888-7Ai-Quit
American Indian Quit Line website
First Breath
Support during and after pregnancy
Ages 18+
First Breath website
The word "tobacco" on this page refers to commercial tobacco, not traditional Native American tobacco
Traditional tobacco: a sacred medicine for healing; offerings to the Creator; and spiritual gifts to express gratitude, show respect, and ask for prayers or advice. Commercial tobacco ("tobacco"): changes the meaning of traditional tobacco into dangerous recreational commodities like cigarettes, vapes, and chewing tobacco.