Expanded school-based tobacco use prevention program linked to lower youth smoking and vaping in California
By lauraharris // 2026-01-15
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  • University of California San Diego researchers found that students in schools with Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) funding had 20% lower overall tobacco use and 23% lower vaping rates than students in non-TUPE schools.
  • The program's expansion followed voter-approved Proposition 56 in 2016, which increased tobacco taxes and generated new funding for school-based prevention and statewide media campaigns.
  • Findings were based on data from more than 160,000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12 who participated in the 2019–2020 California Student Tobacco Survey across 358 public schools.
  • Students in TUPE-funded schools were more likely to receive prevention education, participate in anti-tobacco activities and have access to trained counselors – factors linked to lower tobacco and vaping rates.
  • Independent experts and study authors say the consistent results show that sustained, high-quality school-based prevention is a critical complement to broader tobacco control policies in reducing youth addiction.
An expanded, school-based tobacco prevention program in California has been linked to significantly lower rates of smoking and vaping among middle and high school students, according to new research from the University of California San Diego. The study published Monday, Jan. 12, in the Journal of Adolescent Health  evaluated the impact of California's Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program following a major funding increase approved by voters in 2016. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, the program is a state-funded initiative aimed at reducing youth tobacco use through education, prevention and cessation strategies. It focuses on school-based programs, community outreach and policy advocacy to discourage smoking and vaping among young people. Researchers analyzed data from more than 160,000 students across the state, drawing on responses from the 2019–2020 California Student Tobacco Survey. The survey included eight-, tenth- and twelfth-grade students from 358 public schools and provided one of the most comprehensive looks at youth tobacco use following a major expansion of prevention funding. That expansion was made possible by Proposition 56, a ballot initiative approved by California voters in 2016 that raised taxes on cigarettes, vapes and other tobacco products. The measure generated new revenue for tobacco control efforts, including a significant increase in funding for TUPE, which is administered by the California Department of Education. While Proposition 56 also funded statewide media campaigns that reached nearly all adolescents, TUPE resources were directed toward more intensive, school-based strategies in selected districts. These included classroom instruction, youth-led anti-tobacco activities and access to cessation services. In line with this, the study found that students attending schools receiving TUPE funding were substantially less likely to use tobacco products than their peers in schools without the program. Overall, tobacco use was about 20% lower, while vaping rates were 23% lower in TUPE-funded schools.

How anti-tobacco programs are making a difference

To determine whether TUPE provided added benefits beyond California's broader tobacco control environment, researchers compared students in TUPE-funded and non-funded schools. They found that students in both groups reported similar exposure to tobacco advertising and similar perceptions of how easy it was to obtain tobacco products, suggesting comparable external influences. The differences, researchers said, appeared inside the schools. Students in TUPE-funded schools were more likely to receive tobacco prevention education (71% compared with 63.8%) and to participate in anti-tobacco activities such as tobacco-free events or creating prevention materials (15.2% compared with 10.6%). These schools were also more likely to provide access to counselors or staff trained to address substance use concerns. Those factors were associated with lower rates of tobacco use. Overall, 6.5% of students in TUPE-funded schools reported using tobacco, compared with 8.1% in non-TUPE schools. Vaping, the most common form of youth tobacco use, was reported by 5.4% of students in TUPE-funded schools, versus 7% elsewhere. Furthermore, the association between TUPE funding and reduced tobacco use remained significant even after researchers accounted for variables such as grade level, region, race and ethnicity, parental education, mental health status and whether students lived with someone who used tobacco.

Experts: Sustained investment in school-based prevention key to reducing youth tobacco use

Michael Ong, M.D., Ph.D., a health economist and professor at the University of California Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study, said the findings underscore the importance of sustained investment in prevention. "Studies like this show how important it is to keep investing in strategies that work—and that protect young people from becoming addicted," said Ong, who chairs the California Department of Public Health's Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee, which advises the state on tobacco prevention and control. Ong added that Proposition 56 allowed California to strengthen and modernize its prevention efforts at a time when vaping products were rapidly evolving. "This study shows that when schools are given the resources to implement sustained, high-quality prevention education, students are more likely to reject these enticing new products." Senior study author Shu-Hong Zhu echoed a similar stance. He concluded that the consistency of the findings across multiple measures strengthens the evidence that school-based prevention programs play a critical role in reducing youth tobacco use as part of a comprehensive statewide strategy. "School-based programs are not a replacement for strong policy and media, but they are a critical complement," Zhu said. "This study suggests that sustained investment in prevention education at the school level can help protect young people from becoming addicted to tobacco." Watch this motivational video on how to quit smoking. This video is from the Healthy Life Tips channel on Brighteon.com.  Sources include: MedicalExpress.com ScienceDirect.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
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