Powered by
Lung Health Foundation
Brief Conversations Toolkit
Start a brief conversation about quitting
Developed by public health experts from Ontario Public Health Units, and the Lung Health Foundation this Brief Conversations Toolkit aims to help curb the youth vaping epidemic by increasing knowledge and application of Brief Contact Interventions (BCI) among those who work or engage with youth who smoke, vape or use other nicotine products.
This Toolkit is suitable for educators, school staff, coaches, youth workers, and parents alike!
Overview
How to start a brief conversation about quitting
Vaping is rising despite smoking decline. Experts warn about youth nicotine addiction. This toolkit helps you talk to a young person about quitting vaping in under 3 minutes. It's perfect for parents, educators, and anyone who cares!
-
Read more +
Sounding the alarm
Youth smoking rates have plummeted, but vaping has only gained popularity. It’s a whole new way for youth to get hooked on nicotine, and experts like the Lung Health Foundation and Ontario’s Youth Nicotine Dependence Advisory Committee are sounding the alarm.
We’ve got you covered
But leave the “big picture” strategy to us. You’re here because you care about a young person who may be vaping, and you want to encourage them to quit. The good news is that you don’t need to be a vaping expert to make an impact!
In the Brief Conversations Toolkit, we’ve broken the content down into bite-sized pieces to simplify an evidence-based behaviour change concept called Brief Contact Interventions. Keep scrolling to learn how a short brief conversation strategy can help you make a difference in less than three minutes!
Use this toolkit to turn back time and help prevent a future of nicotine dependence.
Let's clear up a myth
Youth vaping is NOT harm reduction
Youth vaping is NOT harm reduction. Only 6% of youth who vape report doing it in an effort to quit smoking*, and the act of vaping actually makes a young person 3.6 times more likely to smoke in the future.**
DON’T
delay a conversation based on the assumption that “vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking” —
because for the vast majority of youth who vape, it’s not.
We can tell you where vaping data was — or where it wasn’t. Ten years ago, vaping was so uncommon that daily vaping rates weren’t even captured by Health Canada’s Survey yet.
Things have changed a lot since then, with dangerously discrete devices and youth-targeted flavours flooding the market.
Where were you a decade ago?
Why Brief Conversations?
Brushing up on your brief conversation skills is an effective way to engage with youth using a sensitive and non-judgmental approach that both motivates and supports them. It’s about opening their minds to the benefits of change while connecting them to accessible programs and supports.
Life is busy, but you can make a life-changing impact in less than three minutes.
A state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their best health.
Let’s talk health equity
The Lung Health Foundation and Ontario’s Youth Nicotine Dependence Advisory Committee are dedicated to the pursuit of health equity.
2SLGBTQIA+ youth are 1.5 times more likely to vape*
compared to heterosexual or cisgender youth. In addition, Indigenous youth are 1.5 times more likely to vape** compared to non-Indigenous Youth.
DO keep health equity in mind
when you use this Toolkit to inform your conversations with youth. Keep your conversation empowering and compassionate!
Two Key Steps to Success (ASK & ACT)
Remind yourself of these three little words before you get started, as they are key to meeting youth where they’re at and keeping them engaged in the conversation.
Calm, curious, and non-judgmental.
Think conversation, not interrogation.
To make this approach quick and easy for all Canadians who engage with youth, we recommend these two key steps to guide meaningful short brief conversations:
ASK
If you know or suspect a young person is vaping, approach the topic gently with open-ended questions so that you can learn more about their thoughts on vaping and whether they are interested in quitting or making a change. For example:
“I noticed you were vaping with some friends between classes. I’d like to know a bit more about that. Can you tell me how it started?”
“How is vaping helping or harming you?”
“What do you think about stopping or changing?”
Once you’ve used the power of “ASK” to understand the young person’s thoughts about vaping, you unlock the next step — ACT.
ACT
What if They’re Ready (or Not)?
Make sure you’ve really, really listened during step one, as it affects how you ACT. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach!
“It sounds like you would like to change your vaping behaviour. I know of an app that can help get you started and provide additional support along the way. I’d like to check-in again with you next week. Would that be alright?”
They seem open to change
If the young person seems open to change, now is a good time to provide them with some information. There are apps, websites and people in their lives that can help them start a quit journey!
OR
“It sounds like you don’t think vaping is a problem for you. I know that sports are important to you and continuing to vape may begin to impact your health and athletics.”
“Here’s a website where you can learn more about vaping and how it can affect your lungs and health. Would it be okay if I check-in with you next week after you’ve had a chance to check it out?”
They’re just not ready (yet)
Breakthroughs can take time
But let’s face it: change isn’t always easy. Some young people are just not ready to change their vaping behaviour (yet), but that doesn’t mean that your caring and supportive conversation stops here.
In fact, this minor roadblock can be an opportunity to show the young person that you see them for who they are, and that you’re still a source of support for them in the future.
Keep those lines of communication open!
Extra Credit
The skills you’re picking up in this Toolkit can apply any to situation where you engage with youth. Download these sample scripts and start imagining the impact you’ll make!
Resources to share
-
For those not-quite-ready to change
Let’s cover the tricky scenario first. If a youth indicates they are not interested in changing, your goal as a supportive adult is to help them come to realize that their vaping is causing more harm than good. However, simply telling them that isn’t helpful. Instead, you can ask questions to build rapport, learn their perspective and raise awareness of risks, challenges, and alternatives.
Remember, nobody’s expecting you to be an expert on vaping. That’s where our handy list of resources comes in!
For youth who are not-quite-ready to change and who may need more information about the risks of vaping, we recommend NotAnExperiment.ca. Created by Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and maintained in partnership with Ontario Public Health Units, this website is a one-stop-shop for vaping education. It covers the full body health effects of vaping, the negative effect that vaping has on mental health, and the sneaky ways the tobacco industry has shifted gears to specifically target youth. It also acknowledges the social pressure aspect of vaping and offers practical advice on how to resist.
-
For those who are interested in change
For youth who are interested in change, there are supports available! Talking to a trusted ally like you is a great start, but it’s also important to know where you can refer youth to additional support for their quit journey.
Whatever their readiness, we’ve got resources.
In Canada, there are free apps and online resources that can provide information to help youth plan and track their progress:
(Lung Health Foundation)
(Ontario Tobacco Research Unit)
(Simcoe Muskoka Dist. Health Unit)
Quash App
A judgement-free app that helps youth progress through each stage of the quit process.
Stop Vaping Challenge
An “abstinence challenge” that tracks the days, hours, and even seconds since their last puff. Users can even team up with friends!
NotAnExperiment.ca
Maintained in partnership with Ontario Public Health Units.
In addition to lots of information about the whole-body risks of vaping, notanexperiment.ca’s QUITTING page allows users to create and download a customized Quit Plan.
Let’s Try it Out
Lights, camera, action. You understand the basics of the ASK and ACT steps, but how do they all come together in a way that feels natural? This video re-enacts a positive brief conversation between a teacher and their student, but you can apply the principles to the kinds of interactions that you have with youth, too.
Here’s what a great ‘brief conversation’ looks like!
Need some ideas?
We’ve provided a number of sample scripts to demonstrate. Check them out for ideas on how to apply ‘Brief Conversations’ in a variety of roles and situations. Ask yourself questions like:
“How does the adult ally approach the topic of vaping while creating a safe and open space to talk?”
“What kind of questions are asked to learn more about the youth’s experience and point-of-view?”
“How does the adult ally act to provide the youth with additional support?”
Extra Credit
The skills you’re picking up in this Toolkit can apply any to situation where you engage with youth. Download these sample scripts and start imagining the impact you’ll make!
Be Compassionate
Remember that your goal isn’t to “win” the conversation. If you’re leading with compassion, the process should feel collaborative. By showing compassion and by seeking and accepting the youth’s perspective in all your interactions, you can help strengthen their own motivations and commitment to change. This intervention applies a youth-friendly communication strategy called ‘motivational interviewing’ and you can learn more about it below.
A dance, not a wrestling match
Because mental health matters.
Why compassion?
Youth experiencing poor mental health are 1.8 times more likely to vape.*
31% of all youth who vape report doing it as a form of stress reduction.**
However, some research has found that youth who vape were more likely to report anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts.
DO be compassionate throughout your conversation.
The young person you’re talking to could be going through a lot, and recognizing that could help you break through.
* Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2022 ** Depression & anxiety symptoms linked to vaping nicotine and THC in teens and young adults | American Heart Association
Take a deeper dive
Have more time?
Ready to Learn More?
Allies who want to dig a little deeper into helping youth make healthier choices have a wide range of strategies to explore. One can’t-miss skill to flex is motivational interviewing.
Inspired? We’ve got you!
It is about guiding and not directing
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a person-centered strategy that helps people explore and resolve ambivalence. Ambivalence is the conflict of motivations.
-
Read more
MI is about arranging conversations so that people talk themselves into change, based on their own values and interests. It is about guiding and not directing. Your ability to build rapport while supporting young people when talking about behavior change is crucially important. You don’t need to be an expert on the topic at hand when you’re leading with compassion.
“I don’t want to quit vaping. I’d find it really hard to feel left out when my friends are all doing it…”
“…buuuuut it’s getting really unaffordable, and I think it might be affecting my athletic performance. Maybe I do want to quit?”
How do you know if you did it right?
“Would they feel comfortable coming back to talk to me again?”
Ask yourself at the end of a discussion,
If the answer was yes, then you’re leading with compassion!
Extra Credit
These free resources can help you start high-impact conversations in your community, clinic, or classroom.
Daily vapers aged (15-24 years old)
Cessation Strategies
Youth who smoke and/or vape often want to quit but require support to do so. When we look at the data, we can see the hunger for change!
That’s not to say that they always reach their goals. In fact, these quit attempts are often unsuccessful due to the difficulty of quitting unassisted, one of young Canadians’ top choices for “quit method”.
have attempted to quit two to three times in the past year
have made at least one quit attempt in the past year
We think there’s a better way – and it starts with you.
BONUS - If a youth is expressing that they are ready to quit, they can download the Quash app and create a quit plan in the app.
-
Identify their “why”
Everyone has a different reason they want to quit. It’s essential for youth to be able to identify why they are quitting so they can remind themselves throughout the process.
-
Make a commitment/write down a goal
When people make a commitment, they are more likely to follow through with it if they write it down/type a note in their phone, instead of just thinking it. That commitment gets even stronger when youth tell someone about that commitment.
-
Get Support
Social support is strongly linked with helping people quit and avoiding slips. We know that sometimes youth hide their smoking/vaping status, making it difficult to ask for help. Have youth identify allies and support in their life that they can lean on during their quit journey.
-
Identify Strengths
A strength is something that makes you feel strong. Youth should lean on their strengths and remind themselves of what makes them feel strong. Youth should identify strengths that will assist them in their quit journey.
- What am I doing or talking about when I seem most energised and happy?
- When I seem my best, the exact thing I am doing is __________.
- What are your three favorite qualities you see in me? (Do your best to use one word per quality.)
-
Create New Routines
Small changes to a daily routine can help youth create new healthy habits and a new routine during their quit process. New routines and healthy habits can help youth focus on healthy habits rather than their cravings. Youth should create an action plan for how they will achieve both their quit and healthy habit goals. Examples of healthy habits to add to daily routine:
- Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning
- Make your bed
- Say some positive words to yourself out loud
- Post some inspiring or uplifting content on your socials
- Look at your motivation photo for 30 seconds or more
-
Be Aware of Triggers
Triggers are factors that make youth want to smoke or vape and will be different for each person. Triggers can be everyday tasks, feelings, people, places, or events. When working with youth, ask them questions such as:
- “What made you start smoking and/or vaping?”
- “What things makes you want to smoke and/or vape during the day?”
- “How do you feel when you want to smoke and/or vape?”
-
Keep Track of Cravings
It’s important for youth to understand what cravings are to be able to identify them when they happen and how to curb them in a healthy manner. Triggers can contribute to cravings. Youth can keep track of their cravings by logging:
- Time and place
- How intense the craving is
- How are they feeling in the moment
- Were they alone or in a group
-
The Art of Distraction
By tracking cravings, youth can understand behaviours and patterns in their routines that might trigger cravings. Youth can leverage their healthy habits to help distract them with a healthier alternative from their craving in the moment. Tips to help youth get through a craving:
- Connect: Call or text a support that was identified in their quit plan. Youth can also reach out to a quit line to assist them in getting by a craving
- Move: Fight cravings with exercise! Even short bouts of exercise can reduce cravings.
- Breathe: Controlled deep breathing can assist with cravings by taking slow deep breaths by the count of 4 (breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4 – repeat 3 times)
- Music: Create a “cravings” playlist with feel good music to distract you from your craving
- Play: Download a free game on a mobile device to play when a craving hit – the brain will be distracted by the game
- Eat or drink: Cravings can appear when someone is dehydrated or hungry. Youth can curb a craving by drinking water or having a small snack
-
What happens if they slip up?
It is vital to increase teens' self-efficacy for quitting smoking/vaping by:
- Supporting them to build skills;
- Focusing their attention on the small, progressive successes they achieve; and
- Encouraging them to acknowledge and take pride in these successes.
Create a Quit Plan with Youth
Creating a quit plan with youth can help them increase their chance of a successful quit attempt.
Quitting vaping or smoking can be challenging once a teen has developed a physical dependence and/or an addiction to nicotine. By supporting them through their quit process, they are more likely to succeed. Creating a quit plan with youth can help them increase their chance of success.
Scroll through the following to get more information on how to create a quit plan with youth, or jumpstart the Quit Plan process in the Quash app.
Download a PDF version
Additional Educational Resources and Training Materials
Feeling like you want to learn even more about supporting youth and young adults to quit smoking or vaping? We’ve put together a list of trusted resources, trainings, and certificate programs for you to browse.
-
TEACH - Training Enhancement in Applied Counselling and Health (TEACH)
Click HereAward winning trainings in smoking cessation through the Centre of Addictions and Mental Health. The Training Enhancement in Applied Counselling and Health (TEACH) Project is Canada’s benchmark tobacco cessation education program. TEACH provides continuing education and capacity-building focused on training healthcare providers to support their patients/clients with tobacco addiction and cessation, and address e-cigarette use/vaping. For more information about certificate programs, trainings, and webinars
-
Quash Facilitator Training
Register or learn moreThere are two versions of the Quash program that can be used separately or together, depending on the needs of the young person trying to quit:
- Self-directed program for youth (app) Learn more
- Facilitator version of the program delivered to youth online or in-person over seven sessions
The Lung Health Foundation recognizes the importance of having standardized training for its program facilitators and has developed an online training course for those interested in delivering the Quash youth smoking and vaping cessation program. The free certificate training equips allies to deliver the Quash smoking and vaping cessation program to youth in their communities.
-
Public Health Ontario – Tobacco and E-cigarettes
Click herePublic Health Ontario (PHO) keeps Ontarians safe and healthy. Alongside partners in government, public health and health care, they aim to prevent illness and improve health, and provide the scientific evidence and expert guidance that shapes policies and practices for a healthier Ontario.
Find out more information about tobacco and e-cigarettes, including reports, webinars, and news.
-
Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU)
OTRU is home to several full-time researchers, including scientists and research associates at the PhD level who act as our project leads. Staff coordinate OTRU’s activities and carry out our research, evaluation, training, and dissemination projects.
-
Brief Conversations Training Presentation
Presentation for facilitatorsWant to deliver a presentation to school staff or other public health staff as part of a training? Check out this fully developed presentation that walks you through a summary of the Brief Conversations Toolkit.
There is a recorded presentation for your own personal viewing, and a presentation for you to facilitate.
Meet the Experts
Developed by Ontario’s public health experts, the Conversations Toolkit aims to help curb the youth vaping epidemic by increasing knowledge and application of Brief Contact Interventions (BCI) among those who work or engage with youth who smoke, vape or use other nicotine products.
The Lung Health Foundation (LHF)
LHF is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending gaps in the prevention, diagnosis, and care of lung disease in Canada. We invest in the future by driving groundbreaking research, and we give patients and their families the programs and support they need today. Learn, share, and donate on their website.
The Youth Nicotine Dependence Advisory Committee (YNDAC)
YNDAC is a partnership of Public Health Units and other organizations, groups, and agencies with a focus on youth commercial tobacco, vaping and nicotine product use prevention, cessation and enforcement in Ontario. The committee works to provide a forum for provincial partners to collaborate to develop, implement and evaluate a comprehensive, coordinated, evidence-informed approach to reduce rates of nicotine addiction among Ontario youths by:
Maintaining the Youth Smoking and Vaping Situational Assessment, through the ongoing review and collection of evidence related to adult tobacco and/or vaping use prevention, cessation and/or enforcement.
Identifying opportunities for collaborative action that will reduce duplication, increase effectiveness, and contribute to the achievement of the project goals and objectives.
Developing and implementing collaborative programming, using Public Health Ontario’s (2018) Planning Health Promotion Programs process.
We’d love to hear what you think
Take the short survey, lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Potenti egestas amet purus morbi.
Join our community
Want to stay connected in the youth vaping space?
The Brief Conversations Toolkit was made possible through a financial contribution from the Ontario Ministry of Education.
