Peer-led program to prevent teen nicotine vaping

Pilot and Feasibility Testing of a Peer-led Program to Prevent Youth Nicotine Vaping: The YES-CAN! Program

NIH-funded research University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11141736

This program uses high-school peer leaders and student-made videos to help middle and high school students avoid nicotine vaping.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Colorado Denver NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11141736 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If your school joins, trained teachers will run a credit-earning yearlong class where students create short videos and learn refusal skills, stress management, and positive coping. High school peer leaders will deliver the program messages to younger students to change norms around vaping. The pilot is being run in two middle/high school communities and focuses on sustained classroom implementation and youth-adult collaboration. The approach emphasizes peer role models and youth-developed media rather than lectures from adults.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are middle and high school students at the participating schools, especially high school students willing to serve as peer leaders and create videos.

Not a fit: Adults, children younger than middle school age, or students who are not at the participating schools are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this pilot.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower teen vaping rates and strengthen students' refusal skills and coping strategies.

How similar studies have performed: Peer-led and youth-created media approaches have shown promise in reducing risky adolescent behaviors, but this specific program package is novel and is being piloted to confirm its effects.

Where this research is happening

Aurora, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.