Rural schools in Newaygo County, like so many across Michigan, were seeing an increase in the number of students caught vaping. To address this community-wide concern, Corewell Health Gerber Hospital established the Corewell Health Gerber Vaping Prevention and Cessation program to reach students early on and find an upstream solution.
The program is designed to decrease youth use of tobacco and nicotine products through the implementation of early education and access to onsite quit services. With this in mind, Tobacco Treatment Specialists (TTS) are deployed into Newaygo County schools during grades 4-8 to provide hands-on, age-appropriate education. This engaging education teaches youth about the chemicals in vapes and highlights the health consequences that result from vaping.
Students have an opportunity to practice how to say no to peers and how to resist peer pressure. The program also reaches families and caregivers with this important messaging by presenting at school and community events throughout the year. The TTS team partners closely with school resource officers to identify students that have been caught with nicotine products and provide additional education and support as an alternative to suspension whenever possible. One-on-one, onsite, weekly cessation counseling is offered to each student. If students are caught again, they are referred to the juvenile court where more intensive education takes place for both youth and their parents.
During the 2024-2025 school year, 2,348 youth received nicotine prevention education and 16 were seen for tobacco cessation counseling.
“We are fortunate to collaborate with all Newaygo County Schools to provide this education and cessation support for students,” said Shelly Klochack MSN, BSN, RN, clinical program specialist, tobacco treatment specialist, Corewell Health Gerber Hospital. “Through our continued efforts, we are keeping more students in school and encouraging them to make healthier choices.”
For more information and hospital stories, check out the 2025 Community Impact Report. Members with questions may contact Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.