Free training
Want to feel confident talking to young people about smoking and vaping? These quick, free courses will give you the skills you need:
-
Children and Young Person MECC (Making Every Contact Count): Learn how to turn everyday conversations into opportunities for positive change.
Begin e-learning [45 mins]
-
Very Brief Advice training (NCSCT): Very Brief Advice (VBA) is a proven, 30-second intervention that can make a big difference. The key principles are:
- Ask: Establish if the person smokes or vapes.
- Advise: Clearly recommend quitting as the best option for health.
- Act: Offer help or refer to local stop smoking services.
Begin e-learning [30 mins]
- Training Module from GOV.UK: This module helps education professionals to understand and deliver the drugs, alcohol, and tobacco content within the statutory Relationships, Sex, and Health Education curriculum.
Next steps – starting the conversation:
Once you have completed the training, try using these prompts to open up supportive, non-judgmental chats with students:
- “If you ever want help cutting down or stopping, there are free services that make it easier—want me to share them?”
- “What would make it easier for you to smoke or vape less?”
- “Lots of young people are curious about vaping, how do you feel about it?”
