were very impressive and thank you. >> thank you. [applause] >> thanks for coming and talking to us. also thanks to bank of america for these important conversations now we will hear a message from bank of america and then we will be back. >> thank you very much. now it is my honor to welcome to the teesix stage fascinating affecting both high schools with e-cigarettes. [applause] duncan thank you for coming.

>> first of all it takes a lot of courage to come up here. give it up for those high school students. [applause] so with that e-cigarette prevention program high schools and middle schools. catch my breath is a three -year-old program, delaware , on board and make it 50. the first state to be ratified by the constitution but the last to use catch my breath. [laughter] we have two very important organizations that work with us the catch my breath program

is the science behind the program and then the community funding partner. and that makes them one of the largest chains. and then as a priority just to work with us and then we formed the catch my breath coalition. >> talk about how big of a problem it is and middle schools it is important to think first. everybody is born with nicotine receptors in their brain if they are rewarded at an early age you can become easily addicted to nicotine or cocaine or heroin if you do not reward them early like at

age 25 they have atrophied. so really you cannot become addicted as an adult so if you don't become addicted as a youth you will not use as an adult. so how susceptible our kids and how many are actually using it quick. >> so to focus on the middle school population with prevention activities we want to get out in front of the problem through facts and skills before they are tempted to try it. if you could separate the kids have actually tried a cigarette it is 2 percent. but by eighth grade it is 10 percent or more. so that is a window we want to make sure. >> when did you quit smoking?

[laughter] i have smoked before but i did not become addicted fortunately. i've tried convey being long --dash vaping a few times i'm curious about the flavors but it doesn't do anything for me. >> there is over 8000 flavors skittles, gummy bears, steaks, pancakes, unicorn vomit, there is a flavor for it. >> you are curious and you tried it did you get the appeal? >> let me show you something that might help to explain. this is the number one e-cigarette in the united states although it is in many

other countries. you don't want to spill it on you your heart will start racing 59 milligrams per milliliter they are banned in europe a very high nicotine product it is sleek you can find it online and it's a cool cucumber flavor pod so this does look like a usb. so when i show this to anyone under the age of 21 of course

they say i know what this is when i show it to an adult often they don't know. >> but a few years ago they did nothing. how did that come for word what about ignorance or lack of awareness? >> tobacco control has been very successful in this country. we have reduced youth tobacco use rates by over 80 percent. parents have come to take it for granted that all kids know smoking is dangerous. that e-cigarette came out of nowhere. and in the last few years the surgeon general in 2014 they

commissioned a report and it just gets bigger i suppose they taste better than cigarettes and they are cheaper a pack of cigarettes is about ten dollars around the country per pack but this pod contains as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. the nicotine itself cost 60 percent less than if you buy it this way so for all of those reasons it is much more appealing to young people and certainly parents. >> the kids were telling us that the no smoking campaigns were effective so what about the message and the delivery device they mention important

points. first, our program is three hours long. considering the importance of the topic and only the first 25 percent actually talks about knowledge transfer. it isn't a big lecture. most of the program is around building attitudes and skills to understand how using the e-cigarette can affect your personal goals, how they are advertised, pressures from your peers and then making a commitment is this something you want to do or not? we really focus on that empowerment to make that

decisions themselves. >> you do not believe this is a fad quick. >> it's not just what i believe. it is based on what the scientists say that it is very dangerous for young people to become addicted. communities say they are gravely concerned with the youth epidemic. this was sent to us from pennsylvania we caught a kid raping he is so addicted he cannot go 45 minutes without hitting the teeeleven. he does not see a way out he used that as an extension of him so we talked about making choices when you are addicted

you are no longer acting of free will so one of those messages this is a highly addictive product to be in control of your choices. >> what are some of the ways you are portrayed in advertising? >> tobacco and nicotine like a lot of products are glamorized like sex appeal, lifestyle associated with what young people like to do, so that is the same for trail the e-cigarette companies have used it is a repeat of the tobacco as the students mentioned the same message just in a different package.

>> and you said there is another element? >> this is clearly a high tech product it looks like something may be produced by apple over a big tobacco company. so what does have that feel. >> what do you find is the most increment one --dash delivery device? >> we really try to avoid the lecture style format so we talk about those peer leaders. and then practice delivering those messages to practice and communicate and that is the

currency of this generation. so kids digest their social media practice and communicate why they make their decision and their peers should absorb anything more than you or i could say. >> what message does not work with young people quick. >> with old tobacco programs at the end of the program kids would be asked to take a pledge not to use tobacco. as we were developing the program we discarded that approach we want them to decide for themselves. some programs have names that try to inspire or have fear that catch my breath is more

empowering. >> some people try to check off all 50 states where you are more ambitious quick. >> i want to go to 100 countries i am at 43. i am 47 years old i have some catching up to do. my daughter is in china right now for christmas break i'm hoping not only to go to south korea but we recently learned if you visit the dmz you may legally step into north korea under armed guard so then i could pick up a couple more countries. >> thank you for joining teesix. [applause] >> thank you so much