Poe Center Hosts First Joint Vaping 101 Class

The session brings Raleigh families together to discuss medical impacts and refusal techniques for vaping.

Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Asthma

Gouache-painted illustration of a lone wooden chair and a potted plant in a sunny room, representing a space for family discussion. — The Poe Center for Health Education in Raleigh launched its inaugural family vaping prevention workshop on October 24 to address youth nicotine addiction. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe parents should take a more active role in educating their teens about vaping?

The Poe Center for Health Education in Raleigh hosted its first family-oriented Vaping 101 class for local teenagers and their parents on October 24, 2026. The program focuses on fostering dialogue and providing education on the medical risks associated with vape usage.

Why it matters

Prevention experts believe that encouraging direct conversations between children and parents is essential for early intervention. This initiative aims to address the rising health concerns surrounding youth nicotine addiction through informed family communication.

Surveys indicate that 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 10 middle school students currently use a vape. These figures follow the historic peak of teen vape usage recorded in 2019.

The players

Poe Center for Health Education

This Raleigh-based organization provides health education and programming focused on wellness and disease prevention.

Susan Bragg Foster

A substance use prevention educator with 13 years of experience at the Poe Center for Health Education.

The details

The class provided parents and teens with refusal techniques and detailed information on the medical impacts of vaping. The session was led by Susan Bragg Foster, who has spent 13 years teaching substance use prevention at the center.

Teen vape usage reached a peak in 2019.
The Poe Center hosted the first joint parent-teen vaping class on October 24, 2026.

Health Landscape

This program reflects a community-level intervention strategy designed to counteract the public health trends established at the 2019 teen vaping usage peak. It represents a shift toward family-centered education as a primary tool for addressing youth substance use.

The class offers Raleigh families a practical framework for discussing health risks and building communication strategies regarding nicotine. Parents and teens can utilize these refusal techniques to navigate peer pressure and reduce individual health exposure.

The takeaway

Early family intervention remains a cornerstone of preventing substance addiction in young people. Establishing open lines of communication about health risks can empower families to make informed decisions together.