Helping students recognize vaping’s risks before addiction begins.

Created by the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance, Escaping Vaping launched in Fall 2025 as the successor to Tar Wars—bringing physicians and medical students into 4th and 5th grade classrooms to empower the next generation.
This detective-themed program helps students uncover the hidden dangers of tobacco and nicotine through fun, hands-on learning that sparks curiosity and critical thinking.

Students explore:

How vaping and tobacco affect health and brain development
The real financial costs of nicotine addiction
How companies use deceptive tactics to target youth
Interactive “detective” stations that make prevention memorable

All materials are provided free of charge, including bilingual parent resources, activity supplies, and an optional educator training.

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Questions? Contact Lauren Shamblin at lshamblin@gafp.org or (678) 998-1484

The Problem

Vaping Is Today’s Most Addictive Trap for Teens

Nicotine addiction starts young—and lasts a lifetime.

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Yet 6 in 10 youth still believe vaping occasionally is harmless. E-cigarettes contain heavy metals and chemicals that damage the brain, lungs, and heart.

“We’ve never seen as many kids addicted to a substance in a single year.”

— National Institutes of Health

The Solution

Education That Sticks Before Addiction Starts

A free, evidence-based program meeting Georgia’s HB 287 requirements.

Escaping Vaping engages students with facts, stories, and interactive discussion. Presented by family physicians, residents, and medical students, it teaches:

The health effects of vaping and tobacco use
How nicotine hijacks the developing brain
Marketing tricks that target young people
Smart, healthy choices that last a lifetime

✔ No cost to Georgia schools.
✔ Designed for 4th and 5th grade

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Our Impact

From Tar Wars to Escaping Vaping—continuing Georgia’s legacy of youth health education.

Since 1991, GHFA programs have reached thousands of students statewide, equipping them to make informed health choices. The next chapter strengthens that mission with current science, engaging visuals, and Georgia’s own physician mentors.