[Liberty, NY] Sullivan County students joined schools across the United States in participating in National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (3/18-3/24/2024) and Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action (4/1/2024). Students from Liberty, Robert J. Kaiser and Eldred Middle Schools competed in poster contests, created inhaler tubes and learned about vaping and e-cigarettes from the CATCH My Breath youth vaping prevention program led by Sullivan 180.

Take Down Tobacco Day and National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week are observed annually to educate students on the effects of addictive habits like vaping and empower them to help make a change in their community.

This year, Sullivan County middle school students competed in classroom poster contests expressing the theme “Vaping’s Not Our Thing.” On her poster, one Robert J. Kaiser Middle School 6th-grade student wrote:

“Warning! Vaping is BAD for you! Vaping even ‘just a little’ can get you addicted and once you get addicted, you can’t stop. Vaping can affect you in many, many, many ways. It can affect your relationships, your education, and other things. Please don’t vape, you will later regret it. If you are addicted, seek help! There are many programs for addicted people. Be vape free!”

48 students at Robert J. Kaiser Middle School recently graduated from CATCH My Breath and the program is currently in progress at Liberty Middle School. If you would like the CATCH My Breath program brought to your school, organization, or youth group, please reach out to Nicole Blais, Sullivan 180 Prevention Coordinator, at Nicole@Sullivan180.org or 845-295-2684.