Research shows that peer influence, or a child’s internal desire to be accepted, is a stronger influence of tobacco and nicotine products or nicotine experimentation than overt peer pressure.¹⁶ Many young people will try tobacco and nicotine products because of the kind of reaction they think they will get from their peers, even if they don’t feel pressured by those peers.

This activity will help students evaluate their need for acceptance or approval by their peers, as well as the need to be themselves.

Share the activity link below with your class. Then, review the information provided in the activity. Ask your health teacher or school nurse to join you for the activity. Have a dictionary or a health textbook on hand so students can look up unfamiliar terms and share them with the class.

When students have finished, ask them to read the following scenario silently as you read it aloud. Students will see it on screen. 

Tyrell is walking home from school with a group of friends. In the past few weeks, some of them have started vaping on the way home. This goes on for several days, after which most of Tyrell’s friends have picked up the behavior. One day, Tyrell reaches into his pocket, pulls out a vape, and starts vaping. 

Tell students to answer the questions following the scenario. Then, lead them in a discussion of why Tyrell did what he did. Ask students: 

• Why do you think it was important to Tyrell that he try vaping (nicotine)?
• What were his motivations to use nicotine?
• Do you think he would have vaped if he had not been in that environment?
• Do you think things changed for him (or not) in the group once he adopted this behavior? 

To wrap up, get the students to talk about priorities—what is most important to them—and ask them how being tobacco and nicotine free reflects their priorities. Next, ask them how Tyrell might have been able to use his own “inventory of priorities” to think through his decision and choose to be tobacco and nicotine free.