An interactive, small-group lesson designed for middle school students to explore the reality of vaping, practice a cognitive decision-making framework, and develop realistic refusal skills to handle peer pressure.
"Gotta sprint to math class, teach is giving a pop quiz."
04 • Direct Reject
Deliver a direct, short boundary with confident eyes.
"No thanks, I'm good. I don't do that stuff."
Choose the tactic that fits your genuine personality. Slide 5 of 6
Time to Deploy
Interactive Practice
Roleplay Mission Rules:
Take turns as the "Pressure-Giver" and "The Responder".
The Responder must select one of our five tactics.
Keep strong posture, hold direct eye contact, and physically pivot or exit in under 5 seconds.
Refusal Pro-Tip:
The less you explain, the stronger your refusal is. You don't need to justify or argue your choice. A simple, confident shift away shuts down pushy peers fast.
Grab your Scenario Cards now!
Real defense works when you practice the verbal mechanics. Slide 6 of 6
You are walking home through the neighborhood park with a classmate you've been wanting to be friends with. They sit on a bench and pull out a vape shaped like a high-tech USB drive.
"It's fruit punch flavor. Literally no nicotine, just flavor juice. No one will ever smell it. Here, take a hit while we walk."
Missions for the Responder:
1. Dismantle the safety claim with a quick Humor Deflect.
2. Pivot physical direction and suggest walking towards a store or street.
CARD 06
The Backyard Party
At a mixed-grade birthday party in a backyard, a group gathers behind the garage. An eighth-grader hands you the device, claiming you're ruining the mood by holding back.
"Just pass it along, but don't just hold it, actually inhale. Stop being a buzzkill, everyone in this yard has tried it."
Missions for the Responder:
1. Defuse the pressure with a Direct Reject.
2. Walk directly back toward the brightly lit house or snack bar.
CARD 07
The Crush Challenge
You're at the high school soccer tournament. A student you've had a massive crush on walks behind the grandstands, pulls out an e-cigarette, and offers it with a smile.
"Thought you looked like you knew how to have fun. Here, share a hit with me. It makes watching these slow games a lot better."
Missions for the Responder:
1. Set a personal boundary while keeping rapport using The Bait-and-Switch.
2. Shift conversation to the actual game, player, or score immediately.
CARD 08
The Study Session Slip
You are at a classmate's house working on a heavy science project. Your classmate gets stressed about the rubric, reaches into their backpack, pulls out a pod mod, and inhales.
"This project is killing me. My older brother gave me this to deal with test anxiety. It seriously works, take a hit, it clears your mind."
Missions for the Responder:
1. Dismiss the "anxiety helper" claim with Direct Reject.
2. Pull out the project worksheet and refocus on completing the homework.
