The start of a new school year often feels like a fresh slate: new classes, new goals, and new growth opportunities. Along with academic success, it’s also the perfect time to focus on health. For many students, that includes breaking free from vaping and other tobacco products.

What Is Health Systems Change?

Health Systems Change focuses on improving healthcare delivery to make it easier for people to access support. In schools, this can include health centers on campus or in the community that offer more than just check-ups—they also provide counseling, education, and treatment programs. These centers reduce barriers to care, meet students where they are, and help ensure they don’t have to face health issues, like nicotine addiction, alone.

Across New York State, organizations like Health Systems for a Tobacco-Free Western New York (HSTFWNY) are leading efforts. By partnering with high schools, colleges, and universities, they work with health providers to update policies, resources, and treatments that protect and support students. These initiatives are part of a larger statewide program that has helped reduce youth and adult smoking rates to record lows over the past 25 years.

Why Quitting Vaping Matters Now

Experts warn that e-cigarettes, often flavored with sweet tastes and containing high levels of nicotine, are addicting young users at alarming rates. Nicotine addiction can interfere with brain development until the mid-20s, affect focus, and harm heart and lung health. As Shannon Waddell-Collins of HSTFWNY states, “We do not want to see our students become dependent on tobacco or nicotine products, especially as they transition back to school.” Quitting isn’t just about avoiding harm — it offers real benefits: sharper focus for studying, improved athletic performance, more energy, and financial savings.

Resources to Help Students Quit

Students and families don’t have to face this challenge alone. The New York State Quitline’s Drop the Vape program offers personalized support for young people trying to quit. Benefits include improved health, freedom from addiction, and protection from secondhand aerosols. Learn more and sign up at dropthevape.com. Additional Quitline services are free and confidential for all New Yorkers. Call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) or visit nysmokefree.com to speak with a specialist, request a callback, or receive free nicotine replacement therapies. Support through text is also available via Learn2QuitNY and Vivir Sin Tabaco Es Vida, which send daily encouragement and weekly goals. Text QUITNOW or DÉJELO YA NY to 333888 to sign up.

A Fresh Start This Fall

Health Systems Change reminds us that stronger health systems lead to healthier students. As schools reopen, school health centers, state programs, and supportive families can collaborate to help students choose a healthier path. This back-to-school season, let’s focus on moving forward in learning and life—without vaping and other tobacco products.