D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Smoke-Free Me: Making and Supporting Healthy Choices About Smoking and Vaping

D2.3 A1.4 A1.2 A1.6About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can name factors that can affect a person's decision about smoking or vaping.
I can use refusal skills to say no in a clear, confident way.
I can support my own healthy choices and help friends make healthy choices too.

Words to know

factor
Something that has an effect on a decision.

influence
The power to change what someone thinks or does.

peer pressure
When people your age try to get you to do something.

refusal skills
Ways to say no clearly and confidently, and stick to it.

assertive
Saying what you think and want in a clear, calm, respectful way.

advertising
Messages made to get people to buy or use something.

Your choice, your health

You now know what's in smoke and vapes and how they harm health. But knowing isn't always enough. People still start smoking and vaping. Why? Today you'll look at the factors that push people toward smoking and vaping, the factors that help them say no, and you'll practise refusal skills so that you're ready if anyone ever offers.

Factors that can push someone toward smoking or vaping	Factors that help someone stay smoke- and vape-free
Curiosity: "What's it like?"	Knowing the facts about nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide
Friends who smoke or vape, or peer pressure	Friends who don't smoke or vape
Wanting to fit in or seem older	Family rules and values, and family members who are smoke-free
Ads, videos and social media that make it look cool	Goals, like sports, music or dance, that need healthy lungs
Flavours and bright packaging	Knowing it's illegal to sell to anyone under 19 in Ontario
Stress: thinking it will help them relax	Healthy ways to handle stress, like exercise or talking to someone
Family members who smoke or vape	Not wanting to spend money on it

Many factors affect a decision. Knowing them helps you make your own choice.

Some factors push people toward smoking or vaping. Others help them stay free. Add weight to the healthy side!

Refusal skills: how to say no

If someone offers you a cigarette or a vape, you can:

Say no clearly. "No thanks." Use a firm voice and look at the person.
Give a reason (if you want). "I play hockey; I need my lungs."
Suggest something else. "Let's go shoot some hoops instead."
Walk away if they keep pushing.
Stick with friends who support your choices.

Be assertive, not passive (going along quietly) and not aggressive (yelling or insulting). Your body language matters too: stand tall and speak clearly.

You can also avoid the situation, like staying away from places where people are vaping, and tell a trusted adult if someone your age has vapes or cigarettes.

Assertive is the sweet spot: say no clearly and calmly, without going along or yelling.

Lines you can use

"No thanks, it's not for me."
"No way. My parents would ground me forever!"
"I'm on the swim team. I need my lungs."
"That stuff is addictive. I'm good."
"Nah. Want to play a game instead?"

It's okay to say no again and again. You don't owe anyone a long explanation.

Supporting healthy choices

You can also support other people's healthy choices:

Be the friend who says, "Let's do something else."
Don't tease anyone for saying no.
Share true facts if a friend believes a myth, like "vapes are just water."
If a family member smokes, you can kindly ask them not to smoke near you or in the car or house, and tell them you care about them. Remember: quitting is hard because nicotine is addictive, and it is not your job to make an adult quit.

Worked example

Let's practise refusal skills

At the park, an older kid named Tyler pulls out a vape and says, "Try it. It tastes like mango. Everyone does it."

Spot the pressure: "Everyone does it" is peer pressure. "Tastes like mango" makes it seem harmless.
Think of the facts: most vapes have nicotine, which is addictive.
Say no clearly: "No thanks."
Give a reason: "I don't want to get hooked on nicotine."
Suggest something else or leave: "I'm going to go play basketball." Then walk away.
Tell a trusted adult later that an older kid had a vape at the park.

Say no clearly, give a reason, suggest something else or walk away, and tell a trusted adult.

Worked example

Let's think about a factor: advertising

A video online shows a famous gamer blowing big vape clouds and laughing with friends. What messages is it sending?

Message it sends: vaping is fun, cool, and makes you popular.
What it leaves out: nicotine addiction, coughing, lung harm and the cost.
Think critically: Who benefits if kids want to vape? Companies that sell vapes.
Healthy response: "That's an ad for addiction. I know the real facts."

Media can make vaping look cool, but it leaves out the harms. Thinking critically helps you make your own choice.

Hands-on activity

Role-play and comic strip

You need: a family member, paper and pencils.

Your grown-up plays someone offering you a cigarette or a vape (use a pencil as a pretend prop).
Practise refusal skills three times, using a different line each time from the tip box or your own.
Practise body language: stand tall, look at the person, use a calm, firm voice.
Switch roles: you play a friend who is being pressured, and your grown-up practises being a supportive friend.
Draw a 4-panel comic strip: panel 1, the offer; panel 2, saying no with a reason; panel 3, suggesting something else; panel 4, how the character feels afterward.

Just for fun

Practising refusal skills at home? Ask your grown-up to use their silliest "Try it! Everyone does it!" voice. Saying no to a pencil is the easiest no you'll ever say!

Your turn

Name three factors that might push someone to try vaping.

Name three factors that help someone stay smoke- and vape-free.

List the refusal skills steps.

What does assertive mean?

Write a refusal line you could use.

How can you support a friend who says no to vaping?

More practice: warm-up

True or false: you have to give a long explanation when you say no.

What is peer pressure?

Is yelling and insulting someone assertive or aggressive?

If someone keeps pushing after you say no, what can you do?

Is it your job to make an adult in your family quit smoking?

More practice: on your own

Why might flavours like candy or fruit be a factor in young people trying vapes?

Your friend says, "Vapes are just water vapour." How could you respond with facts?

Give an example of a passive, an aggressive and an assertive answer to "Want a puff?"

How could stress be a factor, and what healthier choice could someone make instead?

Why does sticking with supportive friends make it easier to say no?

Challenge

Explain how the same factor (friends) can push someone toward or away from vaping.

Your uncle smokes and asks you to go to the store to buy cigarettes for him. What could you say, and why?

Create a 3-part plan to help your class stay smoke- and vape-free.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a factor that can push someone toward vaping?

Which is an assertive way to say no?

After saying no, the person keeps pushing. You should...

Which helps someone stay smoke-free?

A friend says vapes are "just water." What's true?

How can you support a friend's healthy choice?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers the Grade 4 expectation to demonstrate the ability to make and support healthy, informed choices about smoking and vaping, using their understanding of factors that affect decisions about smoking and vaping and a variety of social-emotional learning skills (D2.3).

How to help at home:

Role-play refusal lines together. Children who have practised the words are more likely to use them.
Talk about vape and cigarette ads, videos or displays you see, and ask, "What are they leaving out?"
Share your family's values clearly: "In our family, we don't want you to smoke or vape. Here's why."
If you smoke or vape, be honest: "It's really hard to quit, and I wish I'd never started." Children often respond well to that honesty.

Common difficulties: believing vapes are harmless; thinking saying no will cost them friends. Reassure them that real friends respect a no.

This lesson also builds relationship skills (A1.4), coping skills (A1.2) and critical thinking about media (A1.6).