Our top issues

In our fight to end youth and young adult nicotine addiction, we focus on the issues that matter most. We constantly monitor the latest topics and trends in commercial tobacco and substance use.

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Who we are

At Truth Initiative, we are committed to a future free from lifelong addiction, fostering healthier lives and a more resilient nation. We are the nation’s largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empowering quitting for all.

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Research & resources

Get the latest facts and analyses on the most important issues related to smoking, vaping, nicotine and substance use.

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What we do

By driving behavior and policy change, we prevent addiction, increase quitting, reduce nicotine dependence, and expand cessation support and access. All backed by rigorous research and evaluation.

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Join us in preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empowering quitting for all.

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YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT NICOTINE ADDICTION PREVENTION & EDUCATION

Everyone deserves the chance to live free from nicotine addiction. Through our national public education campaigns and in-school prevention curriculums for middle and high school students, we are inspiring a movement to live free from nicotine addiction by empowering young people to quit or never start in the first place.

National campaigns that prevent addiction and empower quitting

Our national young adult campaign, Outsmart Nicotine, introduces the "JUUL generation" to EX Program, a free digital quitting program developed by Truth Initiative with Mayo Clinic. The most recent ads illuminate the cycle of nicotine addiction and withdrawal, situating the mental health impact of nicotine addiction as a reason to quit. 

Outsmart Nicotine ads also show dual use of multiple nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and oral nicotine pouches, which has increased significantly among young people. EX Program can help young people quit any type of tobacco or nicotine product, with tools and resources that can increase the odds of quitting by up to 40%. 

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Curriculums to address the youth e-cigarette crisis

Youth nicotine addiction remains a serious public health concern. Among middle and high school students who currently vape, nearly 40% — over 620,000 teens — report using e-cigarettes frequently, signaling signs of persistent nicotine addiction. To educate young people about the dangers of e-cigarette use, we provide a free digital course called Vaping: Know the truth that guides students through real-world scenarios in an authentic peer-to-peer youth voice. The curriculum also addresses cannabis use and prescription drug misuse.

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A track record of saving lives

We have a legacy of transformative impact when it comes to nicotine addiction prevention and education. Our national public education campaigns helped bring down teen smoking from nearly 23% in 2000 to less than 2% today, and youth e-cigarette use to its lowest point in a decade.

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Youth engagement and training

Truth Initiative offers in-person and virtual leadership trainings with young people — including through our Tobacco/ Vape-Free College Program with over 230 campuses participating — to engage them in educating their peers on issues surrounding tobacco use, including physical and mental health consequences, health equity, and environmental impact. We also offer in-person and virtual training for adults at youth-serving organizations.

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